


So I Swear

by LegendaryWrighter



Series: Oathkeeper [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Hedric, M/M, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-16
Updated: 2017-01-25
Packaged: 2018-05-01 23:25:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 36
Words: 111,051
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5225171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegendaryWrighter/pseuds/LegendaryWrighter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A concerned Cedric Diggory visits Harry after the younger teen fell during their Quidditch match. Their relationship of mutual respect for each other develops quickly into something more. How will it affect them both in the Tri-Wizard Cup? Prequel to A Promise Fulfilled</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Main Pairing: CedricXHarry
> 
> Reason for writing: I’m sure I’m not the only one who thought that the look on Cedric’s face when he told Harry about the prefect’s bathroom for the second task, his expression screamed “I want to fuck you senseless.”

**Prologue**

 

Night time had fallen over Hogwarts and Harry was sound asleep in the infirmary, sore that he had lost his broom and the game because of the dementors. His friends had told him that Cedric Diggory, the Hufflepuff seeker and captain, asked for a redo, but Dumbledore did not want to risk another incident like that to happen. Unbeknownst to Madame Pomfrey, someone had entered the Hospital Wing and moved towards Harry's ward. Cedric Diggory had come to see how Harry was doing, hoping that the raven was still awake, but was disappointed. He sighed and approached the sleeping boy, and placed the several cards and sweets onto his nightstand. Although the Hufflepuff team was ecstatic to win the first game of the season, finding out the reason why made them all feel bad. Since they wouldn't have a rematch, Cedric got everyone to make cards and some even bought gifts for Harry.

 

"Hello?" A voice mumbled and Harry put on his glasses and stared sleepily at his visitor.

 

"Hello." Cedric said. "I came here to bring you these. They're from the Hufflepuff Quidditch team."

 

"Thank you." Harry said as he saw the several boxes of candy and cards. "Um, who are you?"

 

"Cedric Diggory, Hufflepuff Quidditch captain and Seeker." Harry's eyes became wide and he looked down at his sheets. Cedric sat on the chair next to the bed.

 

"Thank you." The younger boy said and surprised Cedric. "Thank you for asking to redo the match."

 

"We didn't win on fair terms." The Hufflepuff stated. "And I'm sorry."

 

"Sorry for what?" Harry asked with a confused expression.

 

"I was so caught up in the game, so focused on winning that when everyone screamed louder, I thought it was cheering." Cedric said slowly, guilt was clear in his grey eyes. "It was only when I got the Snitch and turned around did I see you falling. If I hadn't been so competitive, maybe I could've…"

 

Harry felt bad. He heard about Cedric; he was handsome, popular, intelligent and friendly. Now, someone as kind as him felt guilt over something he had no control of.

 

"It's alright." The raven said. "Professor Dumbledore was able to save me and he was sure the dementors would stay out, they said he was furious after the match."

 

"He was indeed. It was one of the scariest things I've ever seen in my life." Cedric pointed out with a smile and Harry smiled as well.

 

"So, what's it like, facing a dementor?" Cedric asked out of the blue. "I've read about them and we had a lecture not too long ago."

 

He and Harry had spent the past few minutes eating some of the sweets brought to him and talking about Quidditch.

 

"Dementors make us relive our worst memories. Our pain becomes their power." Harry said softly, remembering what Professor Lupin told him. "It's probably the worst thing I'll ever do."

 

"And, if you don't mind me asking, what is that memory of yours?" Cedric asked.

 

Harry looked at the older boy. He wondered why he felt so comfortable around him, why he was open to share everything with him, even though they just met.

 

"It was the night my parents died." He said and Cedric placed the box of Bertie Bott's onto the nightstand. "I hear several faint explosions, must've been my father, fending off You-Know-Who, and then I hear my mother screaming."

 

Without thinking, Cedric took Harry's hand and for some unknown reason, Harry didn't pull it away.

 

"Do you want to know my worst memory?" Cedric asked, his hand still holding Harry's. "First a little background. Before I was eleven, my family lived in this Muggle neighbourhood. I had Muggle friends and went to a Muggle school. I was eight and it was the last day of school. I got seven out of eight A+'s. The other one was an A-, so I thought it was a still pretty good year." Harry nodded, but saw Cedric's face darkening. "My father didn't think so. When he saw that A-, he exploded. Yelled and…beat me."

 

Cedric looked down, shaking slightly. Harry squeezed the older boy's hand, whispering comforting words. They were silent for a while, their hands giving comfort to one another. The Hufflepuff finally looked up, his grey eyes staring into Harry's green ones. Harry felt his heart skip a bit and mouth go dry. Suddenly, the curtain opened to reveal a very angry Madame Pomfrey.

 

"Mr. Diggory, I gave you no permission to be here." She said.

 

"I'm sorry Madame Pomfrey." Cedric said as he pulled away his hand. "It's just that…"

 

"Professor Dumbledore sent him." Harry cut in and the other two stared at him. "He wanted to check up on me himself, but something came up. So he sent Cedric instead, right?"

 

Cedric nodded and the mediwitch looked between them both.

 

"Alright, just hurry up Mr. Diggory, it's nearly curfew." Madame Pomfrey said then left. The two students stared at each other for a while before chuckling.

 

"So, I guess I'll see you around." Harry said.

 

"Sure." Cedric said and winked before leaving.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 1: Outside Help**

 

Harry got out of the Hospital Wing the next day. Hermione and Ron filled him in on their homework and lessons. They were having lunch in the Great Hall when Harry glanced at the Hufflepuff table to see Cedric looking at him. The older boy smiled and winked and Harry looked down at his plate to hide his blushing cheeks. 

 

"Harry, what's wrong?" Hermione asked. She had been reading her books on Arithmancy, Ancient Runes, and Transfiguration, all of which were now stacked beside her plate. 

 

"Nothing." Harry replied. "I'm just bummed about all the homework I have to finish. Plus, I still have that essay on the werewolf." 

 

"Which reminds me, we need to go. Otherwise we'll be late for Potions." Ron pointed out. 

 

The trio gathered their stuff and headed for the door, with Harry at the back. Before exiting the Hall, Harry turned to look back at the Hufflepuff table to see Cedric still smiling and looking at him. The raven felt his face heat up and hurried to catch up with his friends. This continued for the coming weeks; Harry would see Cedric looking at him in the Great Hall and would wink when he noticed the younger looking at him, they would sometimes pass each other in the corridors and Harry would feel Cedric's hand brush against his. It was Potions class and Harry was unfocused. He had nearly added the wrong ingredient which would've caused an explosion. Thankfully, Hermione had stopped him. There was a knock on the door which caught the attention of the entire class, since it rarely happened. 

 

"What is it, Mr. Diggory?" Snape asked and majority of the girls, and Harry, looked towards the back. 

 

"Sorry to bother you professor, but Professor McGonagall wishes to see Mr. Potter now." Cedric said and Snape went over to Harry's and Ron's table. 

 

"You heard him, Potter. Gather your things and leave." Snape barked. Harry was more than happy to oblige, and he and Cedric were now walking side by side.

 

"What does Professor McGonagall want with me?" He asked.

 

"Probably to talk about your broom, she was the one who got it for you, right?" Cedric replied and smiled at Harry. 

 

"How did you know?" Harry asked. 

 

"Well, the school didn't allow first years to join Quidditch teams, and you were made Seeker. And Professor McGongall was on the Gryffindor Quidditch team too when she was a student, but had to stop playing due to an injury. That's why she's so competitive when it comes to the Quidditch Cup." Cedric glanced at the other boy and smiled at his amazed expression. "And I may have overheard Sir Nicholas talk about it to the Fat Friar one evening." 

 

Both boys laughed and saw they had arrived. 

 

"Well, see you Harry." The Hufflepuff said and winked before leaving. Harry watched him until he turned the corner and entered the Transfiguration classroom.

 

* * *

 

Harry had received a message from Hermione to meet her in the library without Ron. The two met and sat at a table somewhere in the middle of the library. 

 

"Harry, you've been spacing out lately and seem more distracted than normal." Hermione pointed out. "Is everything all right?" 

 

"Yeah, I've just been bummed out about my broom." Harry replied, but he saw that Hermione didn't believe him. "And the dementors." 

 

Hermione looked around then back at Harry.

 

"Does it have something to do with your personal life?" She asked and smiled when Harry's eyes widened. 

 

"How did you?" Harry asked in awe. 

 

"Woman's intuition. So, what's up?" Hermione replied. 

 

Harry looked at his friend, then out to the window. 

 

"I don't know how to explain it, 'Mione, but I could really use some help." Harry admitted and saw his friend smiling. 

 

She stood and gestured for him to follow. They went in deeper into the library and stopped near the Restricted Section. They approached a table at the corner, where one student was sitting alone, reading a book. He had fair skin, a slightly narrow and pointed face. He had short black hair which was combed to one side and amber eyes, which hid behind silver rectangular glasses. One of the things Harry noticed was the Slytherin emblem on his robe. He shut the book and looked at the pair of Gryffindors. 

 

"Hello Hermione." He said in a soft voice and Harry looked at his friend with a confused expression. 

 

"Harry, this is Joseph Duskgem, a Slytherin in our year." Hermione said and the other male nodded. "I heard about him from the other girls. They said that he helped each of them, even people from the other houses with advice, whether it was on academics or personal stuff. He even helped me loads of times." She bent closer to Harry's ear to whisper. "More specifically, when he told me where I could find Crabbe and Goyle without Malfoy last year." 

 

"So what seems to be the problem?" Joseph asked, his face was expressionless, as were his eyes. "

 

Harry needs some advice." Hermione replied. "He's been very distracted lately and it's affecting his work."

 

The Slytherin looked between the two, and then stopped at Hermione again. 

 

"You know this is the reason why I moved back here." He said with a sigh. "But I guess I can use this opportunity to pay you back." 

 

Hermione nodded and left them. The two males looked at each other for a while, Harry looked nervous while Joseph remained as expressionless as he was when they arrived. 

 

"Academic or personal problem?" The Slytherin asked suddenly. 

 

"P-Personal." Harry replied and watched the boy sigh. 

 

"How did you meet Hermione?" Harry asked. 

 

"It started with two idiots from Ravenclaw." Joseph said. "They were a table away from me and bickering over their essay. Both of them were wrong so I went towards the shelves, got the book on the topic and slammed it onto their table before returning to my reading. They'd finally shut up and before they left, they stopped in front of me. I think they said 'thank you.' Soon, more Ravenclaws came and approached me, and I helped them, asking for help on subjects from Potions to Transfiguration. Then people from Hufflepuff and Gryffindor came. I met Hermione last year, needing help for her research on Polyjuice potion." 

 

"And why do you help these people? I mean, they're not even in your House." Harry pointed out. 

 

"We may belong to different Houses, but we still belong to the same school." Joseph replied. "And knowledge does not belong to one single entity. If someone is willing to listen and learn, who am I to deny them?"

 

"So, how did you start answering personal problems?" Harry asked. 

 

"It started with Pansy Parkinson." Joseph said, his face now showed annoyance. "We were here, studying for an upcoming test and she kept complaining about how Draco wouldn't pay attention to her, and who could blame him? She was whiny, annoying and needy." Harry smiled; he never thought that somebody would bash their own housemate. "Draco said the exact same things about her. She was more annoying when he finally talked to her for more than a few minutes when that hippogriff scratched his arm. Anyway, I told her to get a clue and that Draco was not interested in her. She was so focused on Draco, she didn't notice the dozens of guys who flirted with her during breaks." Harry snickered and saw the Slytherin crack a small smile. "So, she got together with one of the guys I mentioned she'd be great with, then more of the girls from Slytherin came for advice. Then girls from the other Houses came and one time, there were five from each House. That's the reason why I moved here, if you get too noisy, books from the Restricted Section start screaming. It's terrifying, but totally worth it."

 

"So, why do a lot of people come to you for personal advice?" Harry asked. "I mean, no offense, but you don't seem like the type who's well adjusted to his emotions." 

 

"I'm not." Joseph replied. "I always base my advice on logic and rationality. I agree that things like emotions, feelings and love are far from rational, but it actually helps. I'm cold, calculating and harsh, but telling the bitter truth will be more helpful than sugar coating a terrible situation. I've made several people who were in terrible relationships cry because they knew I was right and I helped them find better ones. Some of them found better partners, the rest stayed single and enjoyed it. So if you're willing to trust me, and listen and understand what I have to say about your situation, then I can help you." 

 

Harry stayed silent for a while and looked out the window. He wondered if he could really trust this person. He's a Slytherin and he seemed close to Draco. I guess if Hermione trusts him, then I can too. He thought before looking at Joseph and nodding.

 


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 2: Snake in the Garden**

  
  


Harry and Joseph hadn't discussed anything yet since Harry was afraid someone might hear them. Joseph told Harry he'd look for a private place and owl him the details. Hermione had asked how things went the next day at breakfast and Harry told her everything before thanking her for introducing him, but he still felt bad. He wanted to tell Hermione the truth, but he just wasn't sure how his friend would react. "When you're ready, you can tell me." She kept saying and it only made Harry feel worse. The raven was reading up for his History of Magic class when a folded paper landed on his book. He unfolded the paper and it said;

 

_ Meet me at the library immediately after you finish dinner _

 

_ -J.D _ .

 

Harry turned and saw Joseph walking towards the Great Hall's doors. He turned and glanced at Harry, who nodded and smiled. When Harry looked at the Hufflepuff table, he saw that Cedric wasn't smiling or looking at him. Following his gaze, Harry saw that the brunette was looking at the Slytherin who had just left him a message. 

 

"Hermione, can you cover for me with Ron later?" He asked and showed her the note. She nodded and the three walked towards their Defence Against the Dark Arts class.

 

* * *

"I can't believe Snape substituted for Lupin again." Ron complained. "If this keeps up, we'll have him for two classes, which means double the points lost for Gryffindor per week." 

 

"You should've taken Arithmancy with me Ron." Hermione said jokingly and Harry chuckled while Ron rolled his eyes. Just as they turned the corner, the trio bumped into someone and they fell back. 

 

"Well, look who's as clumsy as they are untalented." A familiar annoying voice said. 

 

Harry looked up to see Draco Malfoy smirking down at him with Crabbe and Goyle at his side. 

 

"Say what you will Malfoy. I'm not the one making excuses so other people will have to do my work." Harry spat back. "Like father like son I guess." 

 

"How dare you." Draco said and pulled out his wand. 

 

Harry saw Cedric from the corner of his eye approaching them but before he got there, someone else had cut in. 

 

"Draco, you really shouldn't stress yourself over this lot." Joseph's quiet voice said and, surprisingly, made the blonde lower his wand. "Besides, you need to get to Madame Pomfrey for your weekly diagnostic." 

 

"You three are lucky I'm in a forgiving mood today." Draco said before turning on his heel. 

 

While Ron glared at the person who just helped him, Harry and Hermione gave Joseph thankful smiles, who nodded before turning to follow Draco and his goons. 

 

"Hey, you guys alright?" Cedric asked when he got there. 

 

"Yes we're fine, just Malfoy being Malfoy." Hermione said with a smile. "Ron, could you come with me? I need some help for an extra credit paper on Quidditch for History of Magic."

 

Harry looked suspiciously at her, wondering if she knew, while Ron smiled, glad that Hermione asked him. Harry and Cedric were now walking together towards the Great Hall for dinner. The scene with Malfoy made them late, so they were the only two in the corridor. 

 

"So, how've you been lately?" Cedric asked. 

 

"I've been fine, though the work that stacked up while I was in the Hospital Wing has been hell." Harry replied, and smiled when he heard Cedric chuckle. 

 

"If you're free after dinner, maybe we could hang out?" Cedric asked and Harry wanted to say yes so bad, but he decided to get advice first before getting too close to the Hufflepuff. 

 

"Sorry, but I'm going to the library to reduce my workload." He said, hiding his disappointment. 

 

"I'll come with you and help. You'll get done in no time." The brunette stated. 

 

"Thank you, but Hermione's been encouraging me to work on my own." Harry lied. "She's afraid I might get too dependent on others." Cedric nodded and a flat line had replaced the smile on his lips. 

 

"I'm surprised Malfoy backed down." He said. "He usually never does that unless it's a teacher. That guy must be something special." 

 

"Yeah, he is. Although he spoke about Malfoy as if they were closer than just housemates." Harry said, making the taller teen glance at him. 

 

"You know this guy?" Cedric asked.

 

"He was a friend of Hermione's long before. She just introduced us to each other recently." The Gryffindor said and he saw that they'd arrived at the Great Hall. "Well, see you around Cedric." Harry gave a smile to Cedric but much to his disappointment, the brunette just nodded and headed for the Hufflepuff table, no smile or wink.

 

Harry sat on his place and stared at the Hufflepuff table. Cedric didn't smile for most of the evening; he would laugh when someone told him a joke or give a small fake smile to his friends. The worst part about it was that he hadn't looked at Harry, not even once. He kept his gaze down at his plate and it killed the Gryffindor. One of the things he loved during mealtimes was that he would look at Cedric and see his beautiful and happy grey eyes staring at him. Harry sighed and stood. 

 

"Harry, you've barely touched your food." Hermione called out to which Harry just shrugged and headed for the library, not knowing that the grey eyes he'd wanted to see all night finally looked at him.

 

* * *

"You're early." A quiet voice said and Harry looked up to see Joseph. 

 

"I finished my dinner quickly." He lied. 

 

The Slytherin gestured Harry to follow him and they walked until they stopped in front of a large portrait of Merlin in a huge library. 

 

"What is the one good?" The Merlin in the portrait asked. 

 

"Knowledge." Joseph said in reply. 

 

"And the one evil?" Merlin immediately asked. 

 

"Ignorance." Joseph replied. 

 

Suddenly, a portion of the wall beside the painting had become a door. The two entered and went down a spiral staircase until they reached a circular room with several desks, a large fireplace with a couch and lounge chairs in front of it. 

 

"What is this place?" Harry asked. 

 

"A private room in the library." Joseph replied. "Most of the time, only teachers and students with permission from their Heads can use this room, but Madame Pince has allowed me full access since she and my mother were close when they studied here. Plus, she appreciates the help in silencing noisy students." 

 

They approached the couch and Harry saw that there was food on the coffee table. It was the food from dinner and a slice of Treacle tart, Harry's favourite. 

 

"Eat." Joseph said as he sat on one of the chairs. 

 

"But I already ate." Harry replied and the Slytherin just smirked at him. 

 

"It's cute when you Gryffindors think you can lie to a Slytherin." He said. "I watched you the entire time at the Hall. Your friends were there before you and before you entered, Diggory came in with a frown on his face. You came in and kept looking at him and since you didn't look or act like a fourteen year-old girl who just got asked to the ball by her crush, I assume something happened or you said something that must've peeved him off."

 

Harry stared, his mouth slightly open in awe. 

 

"Cold, calculating, and harsh." Joseph repeated the words he said to Harry the night they met. "Eat, then we'll talk about it.

 

* * *

Cedric just had finished walking around the entire library for the second time that night and he hadn't spotted Harry not even once. He felt bad about ignoring him the entire evening, even more so when he saw the Gryffindor leave and overhearing that he hadn't eaten a thing. Harry told him that he would be in the library after dinner, but he was nowhere to be found. 

 

_ Why would Harry lie to me? _ Cedric asked himself then frowned. M _ aybe he's with his special Slytherin friend. _ He sat at one of the tables and rubbed his face.   _ Get a grip of yourself, Cedric. It's not like you two are together and by being a jerk to him, you'll just ruin any chance of becoming his friend. _

 

He sighed and didn't notice someone sit across him. 

 

"You know if you worry too much, you'll get frown lines." A sweet voice said and Cedric saw that it was Cho and smiled. 

 

"Well, at least I'm not some Nosey Nelly who takes pride in butting into people's lives." The male said. 

 

"But you love it when I butt in." Cho said with a pout before chuckling. 

 

Cho was the only person Cedric had told about his sexuality. They dated for a while, but there was no spark between them and when Cho asked what the problem was, Cedric confessed everything to her. Luckily for the brunette, Cho was understanding and has been extremely supportive. Cedric told her everything that had happened that day. 

 

"Well, Harry's very friendly to everyone he meets, with the exception of Malfoy of course." Cho said thoughtfully. 

 

"So do you think I overreacted?" Her friend asked. 

 

"Yes Cedric Diggory, you overreacted." She replied and Cedric sighed. "He told you that this guy was a friend of Hermione's and that she had just introduced the two of them recently." She moved to sit beside her friend, who now had his face in his hands. "It's alright Ced, you'll be able to apologize soon enough. I doubt Harry's the kind of person to hold a grudge over something like this." 

 

Cedric nodded and thanked his friend before leaving to do his rounds.

 

* * *

 

Harry had just finished explaining to Joseph what had happened between him and Cedric that day. When he was finished, he asked the other male what was wrong, and Joseph replied that he needed more information. He lied, he knew what was wrong; Cedric Diggory was jealous, but he wouldn't tell Harry that, not just yet. He brought out a small vial with navy blue liquid. 

 

"You will drink this potion, which will make you enter your mind." Joseph explained. "I will then follow and take control of what you see. I want to test you on something before we can proceed." 

 

Harry opened the vial and downed it. 

 

"Legilimens." Joseph said as he pointed his wand at Harry. 

 

Harry opened his eyes to see that he was surrounded by nothing except shadows. There was a cracking sound and he turned to see Joseph. 

 

"What are we going to do now?" Harry asked. 

 

"You are fully aware of what you feel, think and see." Joseph pointed out. "I will make you see things that will test you." 

 

"Test me on what?" Harry asked but the Slytherin had disappeared. The shadows around him began to shift and swirl. "What if he just went that night to apologize and nothing more?" 

 

Joseph's voice echoed and the shadows dissipated. Harry was now watching the memory of Cedric visiting him in the Hospital Wing, but something was different; there were no cards or sweets on the nightstand. Harry heard the older boy apologize and when Harry told him it was alright, he just left, no smile or wink, they didn't talk about Quidditch or the dementors. There was a pain in Harry's chest and the shadows appeared again.

 

"What if he didn't look at you? Didn't smile at you? What if he just ignored you?" Joseph's voice echoed and again, the shadows were gone, showing the memories of when Harry was at the Great Hall and when he passed the Hufflepuff in the corridor. Cedric didn't look up at him during meals nor did he smile at him when they passed each other. The scene shifted to when they bumped into Malfoy earlier that night. After Cedric had asked what was wrong, he left without another word. The pain in Harry's chest grew more and more. 

 

"Would you be willing to give everything for him?" The area darkened and several steps away from him, Cedric was laying on the ground. Harry wanted to run to him but felt a sudden chill, a feeling of dread. Then he saw it, a dementor was making its way towards Cedric. Harry wanted to move, but fear kept him rooted on the spot. The dementor was now hovering above Cedric. Harry screamed, brought out his wand and shot spells at the dementor, but they proved ineffective. It was now giving the older boy the Kiss and Harry fell to his knees. He opened his eyes to see he was back in the secret room in the library. 

 

"Go ahead, jinx me if you want." Joseph said and Harry saw that the Slytherin was sitting beside him. "It wouldn't be the first time." 

 

Harry felt the tears on his cheeks and immediately wiped them away. The two stayed quiet for a while. 

 

"What was the point of all that?" Harry asked after some time. 

 

"The memories that I used, which I altered, was to see what reaction you would have to them, and you gave the right one." Joseph explained. "The one with the dementor was to see if you truly loved Cedric, and you showed me that you didn't." Harry gave him a questioning look. "If your fear for your own safety trumps your love for someone, you don't truly love them. As I have seen and observed, the people who get into relationships with whom they don't truly love, they end up with broken hearts. You should understand that until you do truly love Cedric, we won't be able to continue." 

 

Harry nodded and Joseph stood and took his bag. He looked at the Gryffindor, who was still shaking slightly, and brought out a vial with light blue liquid and handed it to Harry. 

 

"Don't worry, it's just Calming Draught." He explained and Harry downed it. "Come on, I'll walk you to your dorm."

 

Harry was glad there was still a lot of time before curfew, so he didn't have to rush. What he had seen scared him more than anything. 

 

"What's your relationship with Malfoy?" He asked, trying to distract himself. "You two seem closer than housemates. And he lowered his wand after you said something to him. No one other than the teachers can get him to back down, not even the prefects." 

 

Harry glanced at the Slytherin and noticed that he was tall, shorter than Cedric, but still taller than the people in their year. 

 

“We have a…professional relationship." Joseph replied and Harry gave him a confused look. "My grandfather, Magnus Duskgem, and his grandfather, Abraxas Malfoy, were close friends during and even beyond school. They helped each other in every way possible. Before Abraxas died, he hoped that our families would be as close and loyal to each other as the two of them were." 

 

"And that still goes on until now? What if the Malfoy you're with in school is a git?" Harry asked and Joseph cracked a small smile. 

 

"My father may not have agreed with some of Lucius Malfoy's…life choices, but he remained a true and loyal friend until now. As is with me; Draco may be a handful sometimes, but he's not that bad once you get to know him." 

 

Harry tried to imagine a Draco Malfoy that was easy to live with, but was impossible for him.

 

* * *

 

Cedric had just finished his rounds and was on his way back to his dorm when he heard a laugh that he knew belonged to Harry. He peeked his head out of the corridor he was in and saw the raven walking down the staircases with a smile on his face. That smile made Cedric's heart melt countless of times before and tonight was no exception. He was about to go and talk to the younger teen when he noticed the other person with him. It was the Slytherin that had left Harry the note in the Great Hall earlier that morning, the one that got Draco Malfoy to lower his wand, and the one Harry had spoken so fondly about. He knew that it was nothing and he shouldn't get worked up, but the jealousy he felt was hard to control. Harry was nearing the portrait of the Fat Lady and Cedric knew he might not get a chance to talk to him again. He walked out of the corridor and descended the staircases.

 

"Good night Harry, see you soon." He heard the Slytherin say and it took all of his willpower not to hex him. 

 

"Cedric?" Harry said as he looked up the prefect. 

 

"Oh, hey Harry." Cedric replied. "Just finished my rounds. Off to bed?" 

 

Harry nodded and then looked away. Cedric's insides twisted and hurt, he wanted those green eyes to look at him, and only at him. 

 

"Hey Harry, it's a Hogsmeade weekend next week. You want to hang out then?" He asked and saw the other boy frown. 

 

"I'd love to, but my relatives didn't sign my permission slip." Harry said with a sigh. 

 

"Well, I hear you have a knack for getting past the rules." Cedric said and smiled mischievously when the Gryffindor looked at him. "If you do get into Hogsmeade and want to hang out, I'll most likely be at the Three Broomsticks." 

 

Harry smiled at the older boy and Cedric ruffled the raven's hair and gave him a wink before heading for his dormitory.

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 3: Playing Ghost**

  


In the following days, Harry and Joseph met in the secret room in the library and repeated what they had done on the first night there; Harry would tell Joseph about any interactions with Cedric that day, or how he felt or what he was thinking, then he would drink the potion again and see if he could save Cedric from the dementor. So far, all attempts have had the same result as the first night but usually, the two would also end up talking about their own personal lives. In the last few days, Harry had learned that Joseph's father was a healer at St. Mungo's and that his mother was a member of the Wizengamot. The Slytherin shared his memories of when he was a young boy. The one Harry enjoyed the most was when Joseph went to Malfoy Manor with his mother. He and Draco were playing in Narcissa's greenhouse when the blonde pricked his finger on a rose thorn, and the raven healed it and made Draco smile by casting a few spells that made the flowers move around, as if they were dancing. Harry, in turn, told Joseph about his life with the Dursleys and the Slytherin smiled when he heard about how Harry released a snake when he was eleven and that he turned his uncle's sister into a balloon.

 

"They all deserved much worse." He said and Harry smiled.

 

It was Friday, meaning no classes the next day, and Harry had just finished another failed attempt in saving Cedric. He was getting frustrated because he was getting nowhere.

 

"Maybe I'm not progressing because I haven't talked to Cedric for more than a few minutes." He said before downing a Calming Draught. "And what's the point? True love means trusting your entire being to that person, which makes you vulnerable. What good has it done but leave people broken and shattered?"

 

Joseph scowled and the Gryffindor flinched.

 

"What good has it done? True love is the reason you're still alive, Potter." He said as he approached Harry, anger was in his eyes. "Your mother and father loved you more than they feared death or You-Know-Who. Their love is the reason you survived, it's also the reason why Quirrel couldn't touch you in our first year. So tell me, do you think that giving up everything, even your life, for the one person you care for the most in the world is a stupid decision?"

 

The two were silent as Harry stared at Joseph. After a while, the Slytherin’s eyes eventually returned to reflect no emotion, but Harry saw the intense rage in them, and he knew he had touched a sensitive subject.

 

"I want to try again." Harry said when Joseph had returned from the loo.

 

"Are you sure? If you do this too much in one night, it could cause night terrors, even possible brain damage." Joseph warned and Harry nodded.

 

He took out another vial with the navy blue liquid and handed it to Harry, who downed it immediately. When they had arrived to where Cedric was laying on the ground, Harry was able to move. He ran towards Cedric's body, desperate to get to him before the dementor. He was halfway there when the feeling of dread and cold intensified. Four more dementors appeared and headed for Cedric and Harry stopped, the faint sound of explosions ran through his ears. He looked at Cedric, the five dementors were giving him the Kiss when Harry heard his mother scream. Harry opened his eyes and he was in the room again but this time, he was not as sad as the last time.

 

"You've made progress." Joseph said with a nod of approval.

 

"But I still have a long way to go right?" Harry asked and Joseph nodded. "I don't suppose you can tell me what to do next."

 

"No. What you do concerning Cedric will either reinforce or weaken your feelings for him." Joseph said and the two gathered their stuff and walked down the corridors.

 

"It's hard to believe that Malfoy was this sweet and innocent child." Harry said.

 

"Well, that was a long time ago." Joseph replied.

 

"Before I forget, I want to go into Hogsmeade tomorrow." Harry said. The Slytherin stared at him for a while before nodding.

 

"Just make sure you don't get caught." He said and walked towards the dungeons.

 

* * *

 

"Where've you been?" Draco asked from a couch as Joseph entered the Slytherin common room. "Look, this is more than what I got last week."

 

Joseph looked at the coffee table; it was covered entirely by boxes of chocolates and love letters.

 

"As much as I love watching several girls shakily give you gifts and break out in tears thereafter…" Joseph began as he sat on the lounge chair beside Draco. "The thought of being trampled by a herd of wailing cows is not so appealing."

 

"Listen to this; _I hope you soon realize that we two were meant to be, so that, together, we may fulfil our destiny_." Draco read aloud one of the cards from a person who he'd forgotten about.

 

"Well, do try to remember her name. It would do her and the rest of the world good to know that she has as much originality as Longbottom's toad." Joseph said and stood.

 

"I know it's expected with my name and all, but all of this gets annoying after a while." The blonde admitted.

 

"Then let me take care of it." The raven said. With a wave of his wand, all the cards and chocolates flew into the fireplaces, making Draco jump slightly.

 

"Hey, I wanted to eat some of those." He complained.

 

"You don't need the calories." Joseph answered evenly before heading for the dormitory.

 

* * *

 

Harry was now walking around Hogsmeade, taking in the sights from under his Invisibility Cloak. Fred and George had given him the Marauder's Map, which showed Hogwarts, along with all its secret passages and everyone in it. He entered the Three Broomsticks and looked around; he saw several of the older students and some of the teachers. He walked around then stopped suddenly. He was looking at Cedric, who was sitting at a table, smiling widely. But unlike the other times where his heart swelled to the point of bursting, he felt angry. Cedric was looking at the person sitting beside him, a girl from Hufflepuff. When she smiled back and placed her hand on Cedric's, Harry became angrier. He was about to bolt out of the Three Broomsticks when Cedric's eyes looked at the spot where he stood. Harry froze and wondered how long it was before the Hufflepuff gestured to the loo and excused himself. Harry entered the loo and when Cedric entered and locked the door, he removed his invisibility cloak.

 

"Well, so that's how you've been breaking the rules." Cedric said in awe as he looked at the material.

 

"Yeah, but I guess it's ineffective to someone like you." Harry said with a small fake smile. "Well, I should really get back to the castle. If I'm caught, I'll have detention until the end of the year."

 

Before Harry could put on his cloak again, Cedric grabbed his hand and the anger he felt lessened.

 

"Let's go somewhere we can talk." He said. Harry went under the cloak and Cedric led him out of the building.

 

* * *

 

Madame Boon's Tea House was a place where people could go to and enjoy a quiet and peaceful atmosphere. It has been a favourite of many studious students as well as the teachers who want some peace a quiet after a week of teaching. Draco and Joseph were sitting at a table in the corner, discussing an essay that had been assigned while the latter read a book, when a girl approached and caught the blonde's attention.

 

"E-E-Excuse me, b-but are you D-Draco Malfoy?" She asked. The blonde smiled and nodded while Joseph rolled his eyes at hearing the girl squeak. "W-Well, I just wanted…I mean, you're brilliant…and of course very handsome…"

 

Joseph's face hardened and he slammed his book shut, making the two, and most of the other patrons, look at him.

 

"We were having a conversation before you so rudely interrupted." He said and the girl looked more nervous.

 

"I-I-I'm sorry…but I just wanted to…" She stuttered before the scowl from the raven stopped her.

 

"You wanted to tell Draco how you felt about him, yes this has happened before. Here's the thing a lot of people like you should know; you don't have a chance, never have and never will." Joseph's harsh tone made the girl shake. "I advise you to forget and let these feelings go. If you don't, this is what will happen; you will continuously try to get Draco's attention and will be hurt when you're ignored. When you see him talking to another girl, it will make you extremely jealous. And when you find out he's dating someone else, you'll be so heartbroken, you'll either let it affect your studies and social life, never love anyone else again, or kill yourself. I favour the third outcome the most for idiots like you who let their emotions rule their judgement."

 

The girl had run out of the building in tears and everyone stared in shock at the Slytherin, who simply returned his focus to his reading.

 

"As much as I enjoyed that." Draco began. "Something must be wrong for you to show emotion."

 

"Nothing's wrong, I've just had enough of people like that." His friend said.

 

"Really, because I don't remember you ever blowing your top off for something like that." Draco pointed out.

 

"Draco, I had to move from my favourite spot in the library so I wouldn't have to deal with shit like that anymore." Joseph stated. "I won't let that happen in my favourite building in Hogsmeade."

 

The two stayed silent, not returning to their conversation. Draco stared at the person he spent a lot of his childhood with, concerned that something was wrong. He opened his mouth to ask, but was interrupted by someone giggling.

 

"Oh for fuck's sake." Joseph said as he stood. He shrunk his book and placed it in his pocket, dropped some galleons on the table before telling the blonde he was going back to the castle.

 

* * *

 

The two climbed a small hill surrounded by trees and when they got to the top, the Shrieking Shack was in clear sight. They sat and talked about how there week went.

 

"So, who was she?" Harry asked. "The girl you were with. Were you two on a date?"

 

Cedric looked at the younger teen for a few minutes before nodding, and the Gryffindor felt a small pain in his chest.

 

"I'm sorry if I pulled you away from it." He said softly.

 

"No worries. I'm actually glad you came." Cedric said and smiled at the confused look Harry gave him. "The girl I was with has been asking me for months. I just said yes to get it over with."

 

The two were now both smiling.

 

"Worst case scenario is she spreads rumours that you can't get it up." Harry said and Cedric gave him a feigned look of shock.

 

"Mr. Potter, how dare you use such language in front of a prefect?" He said.

 

"Stuff it, Diggory." Harry said. "You were the one who encouraged me to break the rules and come here, remember?"

 

The two sat in silence for a while, looking at the Shrieking Shack, and just enjoyed each other's presence.

 

"So, why don't you like her?" Harry asked, making the Hufflepuff look at him. "I mean, she's really pretty."

 

"She's very pretty, also smart and funny." Cedric nodded. "But she's not the one for me."

 

He looked at Harry and the younger teen felt his mouth go dry and felt his face heat up.

 

"Harry, are you all right?" Cedric asked, concern was written all over his face. "You look like you have a fever."

 

Cedric reached out his hand and before he could move, the older male's soft hands were on his neck and Harry's breath hitched and his heartbeat accelerated. "You feel fine…"

 

"Well, well, look who's here?" They heard a familiar, rage inducing voice said. "You two shopping for your dream home? A bit grand for you, isn't it, Weasel-bee? Don't your family sleep in one room?"

 

Harry and Cedric watched the scene unfold form behind a mound of snow which was capable of hiding them.

 

"I'll head down there and put a stop to this." Cedric said, but Harry held his hand.

 

"I've got a better idea." He said with a mischievous smile and began making snowballs as he explained his plan to the older teen.

 

When he finished explaining, Cedric had the same mischievous smile as him. Harry positioned himself close to the clearing where Hermione, Ron, Draco, Crabbe and Nott. He looked at Cedric, who smiled before casting a charm on himself and turned invisible.

 

"Filthy little mudblood." Draco snapped and a snowball hit his face.

 

All five of them searched where Cedric was standing, and Harry couldn't help but smile. Soon, Cedric pelted the Slytherins with snowballs. Harry pulled down Nott's wool hat and then Crabbe's pants. As Crabbe bent over, Harry gave the Slytherin a kick in the rear, earning laughs from his friends. He grabbed Nott's scarf and twirled him and let go. Seeing that Draco had fallen over, he grabbed the blonde's legs and pulled him toward the Shrieking Shack, trying hard not to laugh when he begged not to be taken there. The three Slytherins ran for the hills, and then Harry played with his friends a little before revealing himself. Hermione suggested they return to the town. Harry stayed back a few paces and when they were out of sight, he turned to where Cedric had assaulted Draco and his goons just as the spell wore off. Harry smiled and waved at him, while Cedric smiled back and winked before heading back to the town himself.

  



	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 4: Under the Mistletoe**

  
  


An, otherwise, perfect day had been ruined by finding out not only that Sirius Black was Harry's godfather, but that he was the reason Harry's parents were dead. Harry was so angry and depressed that he ignored everyone since he got back to the castle, including Cedric. He even skipped meeting Joseph in the library and returned to his dorms and stayed there for the rest of the night. Harry woke up early the next morning, so early that the sun had only begun to rise. He sighed after trying to return to sleep and got up and headed outside. When he got to the common room, Oliver Wood had just entered. 

 

"Didn't know you were a morning person Harry." He said. 

 

"I'm not; I just fell asleep early and can't get back to bed." Harry replied. 

 

"Well if you have nothing else to do, why not go for a swim in Black Lake?" The older Gryffindor suggested. "There are only a few people up this hour and the water's not as cold as everyone thinks it would be this time of year." 

 

"What about the creatures in the lake?" Harry asked. 

 

"They don't bother anyone as long as you don't bother them." Wood pointed out. "But you don't need to be worried, as soon as stepped into this castle on your first year, a magical charm was placed on you, letting the creatures in the lake you're a Hogwarts student, knowing that they'll have to answer to Professor Dumbledore if they harm you."

 

Wood left to return to his room and Harry decided to go with his suggestion. After returning to his room to gather a towel, change of clothes and change into swim trunks, he walked out of the castle towards Black Lake. He found a small clearing in the middle of some trees, casted some heating charms and stripped down to his swim trunks. He ran as quick as he could towards the shore and leapt into the water. Harry found out that Wood was right; the water wasn't freezing, it wasn't even cold. It was a warm temperature, one that Harry always used after an intense training session. He submerged his head to get his hair wet then began swimming around leisurely. After a while, he found a part of the shore that had three large rocks on it. Harry went there to rest and shivered slightly when he felt the cold touch of the rock on the bare skin of his back.

 

Harry stayed there for a while. He had his eyes shut when he thought he heard the sound of snow being crushed under boots. He opened his eyes and looked to his left, then his right. Seeing nothing, he shut his eyes and relaxed again. He heard the noise again but this time, it repeated in quick succession and got louder and louder with every step. A few seconds after the footsteps stopped, there was a loud splash and a small wave wet the raven's hair once again. Harry wiped the water from his eyes and was ready to tell off the person, but he couldn't find the words. In front of him was a half naked Cedric Diggory, water dripped down his muscled body, his hair was mess, giving him an attractive natural look, and the sunlight on his fair skin just made him look radiant. 

 

"Hey Harry, didn't know you liked to go out for morning swims." Cedric said as he turned, smiling at the Gryffindor. "If I did, I would've invited you to come with me every other morning." 

 

"It's actually my first time. Woke up early and had nothing else to do." Harry replied with a small smile, hoping that the distance between them would suffice in hiding his growing blush. 

 

Harry let his eyes travel down and saw the brunette's well toned muscles. He bit his lower lip to keep a whimper from being released when he saw the older teen's nipples, pink and hard. Stop looking you pervert! He scolded himself, feeling himself get hard. Cedric went to do a couple of rounds and Harry stayed at his spot watching. Even though he didn't have the ideal build for a Seeker, Cedric was very fluid and graceful, not to mention quick. Harry shut his eyes and submerged himself, willing his erection to go away. When he resurfaced, his erection sprang back up seeing that the Hufflepuff was only a few inches away from him, his arms blocking his escape. 

 

"Cedric?" Harry said with a shaky voice. 

 

"I just thought of something that would be really fun." Cedric said and Harry felt his face get hotter. 

 

"W-What?" Harry asked. 

 

"Water fight." Cedric smiled while Harry looked confused. The brunette moved away a short distance then faced Harry. "Water fights are much more fun since we're wizards." 

 

"But our wands are with our clothes, how are we going to cast spells?" Harry asked. 

 

Cedric shrugged and suddenly, the raven was splashed in the face. He looked around, and then back at Cedric who was smiling. A ball of water shot up from beside him and hit Harry in the face. 

 

"No fair, I don't know how to do wandless magic." Harry complained. 

 

"Well that's too bad Potter." Cedric said and water balls began barraging Harry, who turned his back to keep his face from getting wet. 

 

He sent a makeshift wave towards the older teen, but Cedric had dove under water just in time. The barrage had stopped and Harry frantically made his way towards to shore to get his wand. Just before he left the water, Cedric resurfaced behind him. 

 

"Where do you think you're going, Potter?" He said as he wrapped his arms around the Gryffindor's waist and pulled him into the water. The two resurfaced farther from the shore, where if Harry didn't have Cedric to hold on to, he wouldn't have been able to keep his head over the water. 

 

"How was that supposed to be fun?" Harry asked. 

 

"I said it would be really fun. I didn't say that it would be for the both of us." Cedric replied with a wide grin. 

 

"How very Slytherin of you." Harry muttered with a small smile. He realized that Cedric still had his arms wrapped around his waist and that his bare back was touching Cedric's front. 

 

"Um, Cedric, could you let go of me now?" He asked nervously. 

 

"If I do you might drown." Cedric replied with a smile. 

 

"Not my bloody fault I'm short for my age." Harry muttered. "I'll be fine."

 

Cedric let go and Harry sunk into the water. He had miscalculated how deep it was. As he resurfaced, Harry attached himself to the nearest thing, which was Cedric, thankful that his erection was completely gone by that time. 

 

"I thought you would be fine." Cedric said and chuckled. 

 

"Bloody git, pulling me into the deeper parts." Harry muttered his breath, making the older teen laugh more. 

 

He looked up and his heart swelled at seeing the Hufflepuff so happy and he smiled as well. Cedric looked down at him, still smiling, and Harry's heart felt like it would explode. This was the closest he'd ever gotten to Cedric and his beautiful grey eyes were now staring directly into his, he could feel Cedric's warm breath over his and it drove him mad. He thought to pull away but the thought vanished when an arm wrapped around his waist and he felt the older boy's lips on his. Harry moaned and wasn't embarrassed on how loud it was. He had been waiting so long for this and he was glad that how it actually felt was better than how he imagined or dreamed how it was. He wrapped his arms around Cedric's neck and deepened the kiss. Cedric ran his hands over the younger teen's abdomen, eliciting a moan. Feeling confident, he slid his hand lower and lower until his hand ghosted over Harry's hardness and grasped it. Harry immediately jerked back and Cedric began to regret his action. 

 

"Harry?" He said. 

 

"I'm sorry…I just…Not." Harry didn't even bother finishing a sentence before breaking away from Cedric's grasped and swam back to the shore. 

 

"Now you've done it Diggory." Cedric said to himself out loud with a sigh as he watched Harry run up to get dressed quickly and run back to the castle.

 

* * *

"YOU WHAT?!" Cho exclaimed. She and Cedric were at the owlery and her friend had just finished telling her what had happened between him and Harry that morning. 

 

"It was the heat of the moment. He was responding positively to the kissing and touching that wasn't in that area." Cedric said nervously. 

 

"Cedric, Harry's a whole lot younger than you." Cho explained "Of course he responded positively, it was a new and exciting feeling, not to mention that hormones are at a high level at his age. The reason he jerked away was you were going too fast." Cedric listened and nodded. "Before that swim this morning, the longest you two spent together was yesterday, and majority of it was spent torturing Malfoy. And Harry's thirteen, Ced, I doubt that he's ready for a physical relationship, much less a physically intimate experience." 

 

Cedric rubbed his face and sighed, knowing that his friend was right. 

 

"What do I do?" He asked.

 

"Give Harry some space for now. After a week or two, go and apologize." Cho advised him to do and they both walked back to the castle.

 

* * *

It had been a week since Harry's interaction with Cedric at Black Lake and ever since, his dreams consisted of the Hufflepuff kissing and touching him where he'd never had been before, making the Gryffindor writhe with pleasure and moan his name. One night, Ron woke him up saying that he was saying someone's name. Thankfully it was extremely incoherent and Ron thought it had something to do with Voldemort. His meetings with Joseph in the library had yielded the same result where Harry stopped halfway there. He asked why that was despite the fact that they had kissed and Harry had loved it. 

 

"The same reason why you pulled away." Was the Slytherin's reply. 

 

Harry still wasn't sure what he truly felt for Cedric. Joseph seemed more closed off recently and Harry wanted to ask why, but knew he wouldn't be told the answer. Also, the rumour that he had made a second-year cry when she disturbed him and Draco while they were having a conversation made him decide that the Slytherin needed to cool off first. Harry, Ron, and Hermione were now sitting at the Great Hall, which was now beautifully decorated and a huge tree towered at the corner. 

 

"Did you hear Fred and George are helping decorate the castle?" Ron asked his friends. 

 

"Knowing those two, they're up to something." Hermione stated. 

 

"Right as always, Ms. Granger." Fred said as he sat down beside her. 

 

"But as a Christmas gift, we'll tell you lot about it." George added as he sat beside Harry and brought out a mistletoe decoration. "Along with the decorations Professor McGongall gave us, we added several of these around the castle, some hanging and the rest floating around." 

 

"See if you and another person are caught under this at the same time, you're both stuck in a small area around the mistletoe facing each other." Fred continued. "You both can still move around as long as you work in unison." 

 

"So how do you get out?" Ron asked. 

 

I thought it would've been obvious, little brother." George said. 

 

"But it seems we've overestimated your thinking capacity." Fred added and earned laughs from Harry and Hermione. "There are only two ways to break the spell; one is if either of us cancels the spell on the mistletoe. Can you guess the other?" 

 

He looked at Harry, whose eyes widened and a small blush appeared on his cheeks. 

 

"You have to kiss the person who's stuck with you." He said and the twins nodded.

 

"Weasley!" a voice shouted and the five of them, as well as the rest of the Great Hall, turned to see Professor Snape sneering at the twins. "I believe this is your doing." 

 

Everyone looked to see Joseph and Draco facing each other, a mistletoe hovering above their heads. Draco had a blank face and wasn't complaining, which was strange sight for Harry, but Joseph's face was construed with annoyance. Harry was sure everyone wanted to laugh at the Slytherins, but wouldn't dare with their Head present and in a very foul mood. 

 

"Professor, it's all in good fun." George said with a smile. 

 

"Also, Professors Flitwick and Dumbledore have allowed us to use these." Fred added. 

 

"Be that as it may, if the two who are trapped do not want to kiss each other then they are forever trapped." Snape pointed out, his voice as cold as snow. 

 

"Like we said professor, it's all in good fun. Why don't you're students be good sports for once and give each other an early Christmas present?" Fred suggested.

 

Joseph scowled at the twins, took out his wand and set the centrepiece in the middle of the five Gryffindors on fire. 

 

"Undo the charm Weasly, or my next spell will do worse than just make you jump." He said. 

 

"Professor, he just used a spell offensively and threatened to use another, more harmful spell." Hermione said. 

 

"I'm sorry Ms. Granger, but I don't recall you being a part of this conversation." Snape said. "Five points from Gryffindor for sticking your nose into other people's business." 

 

He then looked at the twins with the same blank expression. Fred muttered something under his breath before pointing his own wand at the mistletoe. He said a few words and the mistletoe dropped to the floor. Harry watched as Joseph stormed out of the Great Hall. 

 

"And that's twenty-five more points from Gryffindor for challenging an order from a teacher." Snape said before he and Draco left the Great Hall as well. 

 

"Bloody gits." George said before sitting back down. 

 

"Well if you want someone who can suck the fun out of something, you can be sure they're going to be from Slytherin." Fred pointed out. 

 

"I just don't understand why he has to take points." Hermione sighed.

 

"'Mione, the day Snape goes a day without taking points from Gryffindor is the day I'll make out with Malfoy in front of the whole school." Harry pointed out and the Gryffindors returned to their happy moods.

 

* * *

After dinner, Harry headed for the library for his sessions with Joseph. What he hated about being alone was there was no one to distract him from thinking about Cedric. He was about to turn at the corner when someone bumped into him. 

 

"Harry, I'm sorry. I didn't see you." Cedric apologised

_ ‘Of course it's Cedric.’ _ Harry thought with a sigh. "It's alright, no harm done." 

 

"Harry listen, about that morning." Cedric began. "I just wanted to apologize. I was being too quick and didn't take your feelings into account." 

 

Harry didn't know what to say; he wanted Cedric to do what he wanted to so badly, but his unsure feelings for the older teen didn't want to make him do things that they may end up regretting. But seeing Cedric like this, apologizing for doing something he had wanted to do for who knows how long because he was concerned about Harry's feelings, it made the raven happy inside. Suddenly, there was a faint bell sound, and the two looked around to see what it was. Harry looked up and sighed at seeing one of the twin's mistletoes. 

 

"I guess I don't blame you for not saying anything." Cedric said sadly. "Come on, let's get Fred and George to dispel this thing." 

 

Harry didn't mean to send the wrong message to Cedric and he couldn't think of anything that would explain his situation. But if he didn't act now, he'd lose any hope of getting together with Cedric. Just before the prefect could cast a spell to call the Weasleys, Harry wrapped his arms around the Hufflepuff's neck and pulled him into a kiss. Cedric immediately wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and deepened the kiss. The two slowly pulled away and stared at each other. The two looked up when the sound of a tiny bell was heard and saw the mistletoe blink red and float away. They returned to look at each other and smiled. 

 

"I thought you hated me for moving too fast." Cedric said. 

 

"I could never hate you. " Harry replied softly as he held the older male's face gently. "Listen Cedric, I do have strong feelings for you, but I'm not completely sure about what it is. And until then, I don't think I'll be ready to be in a relationship with you, physical or otherwise. I guess what I'm trying to say is, will you wait for me?" 

 

Cedric kissed Harry on the lips and pulled away shortly after. 

 

"I'd wait ten lifetimes for you, Harry Potter." He said and the two of them smiled. 

 

An owl suddenly swooped in and dropped a letter over Harry, who caught it. It read;

 

_ Not in the mood to see anyone else today. See you tomorrow. _

 

_ -J.D. _

 

Harry sympathized for the Slytherin, having to be one of the first victims of the twin's holiday prank. He also made a mental note to thank them one day. 

 

"Who's it from and what does it say?" Cedric asked. 

 

"Oh, nothing important, but I'm free for the rest of the night." Harry replied. 

 

"Well, why don't we go up to the Astronomy tower?" Cedric suggested. "We could look at the stars, talk. Maybe, even cuddle together underneath a blanket." 

 

"I thought I just said that I wasn't ready for a relationship." Harry said, but the idea sounded appealing. 

 

"Well, just because you go on a date with someone doesn't automatically mean you're in a relationship with them." Cedric explained, obviously trying to get the Gryffindor to say yes. "I mean, you do go on several dates with a person before saying that you're in a relationship with them." 

 

"Well since you put it that way, I'd be happy to." Harry replied with a smile and the two of them headed for the Astronomy tower, dodging Peeves and Filch on the way.

  
  



	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 5: Christmas Shopping**

  
  


In the past few days, Harry had a smile on his face the entire day, from when he woke up to going to bed. Hermione was glad, but it slightly unnerved Ron. His sessions with Joseph had yielded him getting closer to Cedric, but not close enough to reach him. 

 

"Hermione said you cancelled your plans to return home for me." Harry said. "

 

To be honest, it'll just be boring at home." Joseph replied. "The most annoying part of returning home is Christmas day; mother and father watch while I open the dozens of presents from them and my relatives and take pictures, as if I were a child." 

 

Harry chuckled at the thought. 

 

"Hermione and Ron are going home for Christmas. The quiet common room will be a nice change and we can hang out, you know, without you trying to make me die of depression." He suggested.

 

"That's a good idea, but I'm sure there's someone else you'd rather spend time with." The Slytherin stated and Harry looked at him with a confused expression. "You'll find out soon enough." 

 

They exited the corridor out to the staircases. They headed up towards the portrait of the Fat Lady when Cedric met them on one of the platforms. He smiled at Harry and gave an even look to Joseph, who gave an emotionless gaze to the Hufflepuff. 

 

"I'll see you around, Harry." Joseph said and turned to head towards the dungeons.

 

"Hey." Cedric said once the Slytherin was out of sight. 

 

"Hey." Harry replied with a smile. 

 

The two just looked at each other while smiling for a few minutes before walking up the staircases. 

 

"What're your plans for the holidays?" Cedric asked.

 

"If you're asking if I'm going anywhere, no." Harry replied. 

 

"Great, me neither." Cedric said with a smile and Harry smiled, realizing what Joseph had meant earlier. 

 

"So, we'll be spending Christmas and New Year's with each other." Harry stated and smiled. 

 

He and Cedric spent more time together; studying in the library, walking with each other to classes or the Great Hall, and having secret meetings in the Astronomy tower every other night. 

 

"So the weirdest thing happened the other day." Cedric said as he walked with Harry up the staircases. "I was on the seventh floor, chasing some troublemakers who stole some potions from Professor Snape's stores. I had lost them and I needed to find them. I turned a corner and saw this large, wooden double door which I had never seen or heard about. I opened it and the entire room was dark. My brain was telling me I should go find a teacher, but something told me I needed to go in. So I did and I walked a few steps before a faint light appeared at the end. The closer I got, I heard whispering and when I got to the end, it was the students I was chasing." 

 

"You found a secret passage that lead you to the troublemakers. Seems like a normal day at Hogwarts to me." The Gryffindor said with a smile. 

 

"Let me finish." Cedric said. "When we left the room, we got out of the broom closet near the entrance to the corridor. And when I went back in, the passage way I used was gone, it was solid wall. The double doors were gone too."

 

The two walked in silence for a while, both thinking about what the doors Cedric saw could be. 

 

"That is weird, even for me." Harry admitted. 

 

"Well, then I've completed my qualifications and earned the right to join you and your team when you go and break the rules." Cedric stated with a toothy grin. 

 

"Sorry, there are no vacancies at the time, nor will there be soon." Harry said as they arrived in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady. "So, I'll ask Hermione about the doors. If she doesn't know about it, then we're probably hopeless." 

 

"Yeah, I heard she read Hogwarts: A History over fifteen times by now." Cedric said, his eyes reflecting Harry's own smile. 

 

"It's fifty actually. If you're going to bring up Hermione's psychotic love for studying, then get your facts straight." The raven replied and Cedric burst out laughing. 

 

"See you tomorrow." Cedric said before giving Harry a peck on the cheek and heading for his dorm.

 

* * *

Draco hated and loved the dungeons at winter. He loved it because even with the common room's many fireplaces, it was still a freezing hell and majority of the house members left for the holidays, and the certain few who could tolerate it had a peaceful holiday ahead of them. It's not like the Slytherins were loud and rowdy like the Gryffindors, they just talked about more serious topics which induces some stress like Blaise talked about his family and politics, Crabbe and Goyle talked about things that were so stupid, Draco got a headache trying to understand. The two were not stupid, they excelled in things other than academics, but keeping the stupid act up had its advantages. And Pansy talked about her love life, big surprise, which was important to the girls, apparently, but it just annoyed the hell out of the boys. Draco hated the dungeons in winter because it was a freeing hell. He swears that he'd probably die of hypothermia if he fell asleep without casting some heating charms. So now, he was risking becoming a Popsicle because he was obsessed with getting an answer. Just as he thought how stupid the idea was, he heard footsteps. He began becoming nervous because if this was not the person he was waiting for, then it could end badly for him. The footsteps got closer and mustering all the courage he had, Draco shut his eyes and walked into the corridor, bumped into someone and heard a faint bell sound.

 

"What are you doing out here?" A familiar, quiet voice said and Draco let out the breath he was holding. He opened his eyes to see Joseph's face, his expressionless stare and thin right eyebrow raised, indicating he was confused. 

 

"Look up." Draco said and the taller teen's face scowled when he saw the infamous mistletoe. 

 

"That doesn't answer my question." The taller Slytherin stated, still scowling at the floating piece of foliage. 

 

"I want to know why you were so adamant about not kissing me when I said it was fine." Draco said as he crossed his arms. 

 

The taller Slytherin remained quiet and slowly lowered his gaze to the blonde. His face remained expressionless and his eyes reflected no emotion. To everyone else, they wouldn't be able to figure out what the taller teen was feeling in a million years. But Draco knew the truth; Joseph was thinking. To be specific, he was thinking of a way to get out of this situation. Every time the raven was confronted about things he was uncomfortable talking about, he would think and find a way out of it. It was a defence mechanism of his and unfortunately, he was being confronted by the one person who knew his way around it. 

 

"You're shivering. How long have you been out here?" Joseph finally asked. 

 

"Don't try to change the subject." Draco said immediately. "Answer my question." 

 

"Stubborn as always." Joseph muttered. "I didn't kiss you because I was being forced to." 

 

Draco's face softened but held his gaze. 

 

"Explain." He said in a quiet voice. 

 

"The bloody mistletoe those Weasels charmed." Joseph began. "The only way out was to kiss each other and you know more than anyone when it comes to my personal life, I hate being told what to do." 

 

"If I'm not mistaken…" Draco said. "You're saying that you would've kissed me if nothing or no one was making you do it?"

 

The simple action of the raven's eyes widening made Draco realize he was right. The faint blush creeping onto the taller teen's cheeks only helped the blonde find out he was correct. Draco took out his wand, pointed it upward and muttered a few words, and the mistletoe fell to the floor. Draco thought that Joseph would've stormed away, but he didn't, he remained rooted to the spot. 

 

"Yes, I would've kissed you; if the only person who was making me do it was me." Joseph finally replied, but his voice was softer and he wouldn't meet Draco's eyes. 

 

The blonde reached out to hold the other's hand, but the raven walked around him, toward their common room. He wasn't even rushing, Draco could've caught up to him, but he didn't go after him because everything finally clicked; he now knew why his friend stopped hanging out in the common room with him since the girls started giving him gifts, he realized why he burnt all the gifts he got the other night, and he figured out the reason why he exploded at Madame Boon's Tea House that day in Hogsmeade.

 

* * *

"I'm sorry Harry, I've never read anything about a large pair of wooden doors on the seventh floor corridor that appears and disappears, and I've looked through books about Hogwarts and nothing like it comes up." Hermione said. 

 

"Yeah mate and you don't see it on the Marauder's Map." Ron said as he placed more of his shirts into his suitcase. "And Fred and George have never come across it and they probably know Hogwarts better than all of the seventh years. They stayed up there for a straight hour and found nothing." 

 

"Even for Hogwarts, this is kind of strange." Harry admitted and his friends agreed. "Maybe it's for prefects and teachers?" 

 

"If it is, then Diggory should've found it again after catching the brats. Kudos to them for getting in and out of Snape's territory without being hexed." Ron said. 

 

"I just wish I could research more before leaving." Hermione said. The students going home for the holidays were leaving the next day and when something like this came up, Hermione really liked to get into it. "Harry, are you sure you're going to be alright staying here? You could go with Ron or come with me. It would be short notice, but I'm sure my parents would be more than happy to have you." 

 

"Thanks Hermione, but I'll be fine." Harry replied with a smile. None of them have gotten over the fact the Sirius Black is Harry's godfather and he was touched at how concerned they were. 

 

"Come on Hermione." Ron said as he locked up his trunk. 

 

"Where are you guys going?" Harry asked. 

 

"It's the last trip to Hogsmeade before the winter break." Hermione explained. "I want to get my parents' gifts." 

 

"Me too." Ron chimed in. "I'm hoping something from Zonko's will cheer my dad up. Everything's been really tense at the Ministry." 

 

Harry nodded and recalled that he and Cedric were going to spend Christmas together, and debated whether or not to get the older teen a gift. It wouldn't be too soon because by Christmas, they would have been dating for half a month. Then there's the issue of what gift to buy.

 

"I'm coming with you guys." He finally said. 

 

"Harry, you got lucky the last time." Hermione said. 

 

"Come on 'Mione, give Harry this one." Ron said. 

 

The brunette looked at her two friends before sighing and giving in. Just as the three were about to leave, Scabbers escaped from Ron's grip and ran out the door, making the redhead follow. Before Harry could chase after them, Hermione shut the door and fixed a glare at the raven. 

 

"Alright, why do you want to go into Hogsmeade, especially with Black still out there." She asked. 

 

Harry looked at his friend and realized that he wouldn't be able to get out of this one, so he finally confessed and told Hermione everything. He expected Hermione to have a negative reaction to the news, but Harry was usually wrong when it came to the brains of their trio, and now was no exception. 

 

"So that's where you've been sneaking off to at night." She said. "Ron and I thought you went looking for Black." 

 

"You're not shocked?" Harry asked. 

 

"I had my theories, but I would still love you even if you liked centaurs." Hermione replied and hugged her friend. "Even if you liked Malfoy. I'd say you were insane, but I'd be happy for you." 

 

Harry rolled his eyes and took out his Invisibility Cloak from his trunk. 

 

"What're you going to get Cedric?" 

 

"I don't know." Harry replied with a sigh. He'd been trying to figure out something but has failed in all attempts. 

 

"Well, consider Cedric's likes and interests." Hermione suggested. Cedric was interested in many things and that made Harry grow more frustrated. "Let's just walk around. You'll know the perfect gift when you see it."

 

Harry nodded, and the two went to get Ron. Hogsmeade was more crowded than usual, probably because it was the last visit of winter. They had walked past several shops and Harry had bought some things for Cedric, like a green sweater, and a kit to maintain and polish his broomstick. Harry merely rolled his eyes at Hermione's comment when he bought it. She may have been the responsible one, but she could tease the boys whenever she wanted to. The three had passed more shops since buying the kit, but nothing still caught his attention as the perfect gift. He was about to give up and get Cedric some more Quidditch supplies, when a small building caught his eye; it was small and the paint outside had faded. The letter on the sign hanging over the door was hard to read but as he approached, Harry realized it was due to the letters being covered in rust. On the outside, the shop looked like it was the last place anyone would visit in Hogsmeade. But Harry looked inside and stood in awe as he saw several glass displays and shelves filled with the finest jewellery he'd ever seen. 

 

"Are you dating someone, Harry?" Ron asked as he and Hermione approached. 

 

"Oh Ronald, there are some things in there for boys." Hermione immediately said. "Like those pocket watches." 

 

"Why would Harry want a pocket watch?" Ron asked.

 

"Well, I personally think having a pocket watch makes someone look more dignified." Hermione returned. 

 

Like with all shops, Hermione and Ron entered first with Harry following close behind under the Cloak. The store had a wide selection of items from rings to bracelets to necklaces, even tiaras, each with a different gem, some even having several. Harry didn't think Cedric was the kind of person who liked or wore jewellery, but something drew him here, something told him he'd find the perfect gift here.

 

"Ah, customers." A cheerful voice said and the trio looked to see an old man coming out of the door behind the counter. His smile was as bright as his wares and his brown eyes twinkled like the gems on display. "See anything you like? Perhaps a ring for the lovely lady?" 

 

"No, we're not a couple." Hermione said, looking away from Ron. 

 

"My apologies." The old man said. "I may still be able to create such beauties, but my eyesight is not what it used to be. I'm Gavin Trent and welcome to my shop."

 

All three of them stared in awe at the thought that this old man made all of these amazing pieces of jewellery. 

 

"I apologize for how the shop looks from the outside; I was never good at cleaning charms." Mr. Trent said. "My sons usually did those charms and they have already left to pursue their own careers." 

 

Hermione was perusing a shelf when she bumped into Harry. 

 

"Sorry" Harry whispered. "But I think I found it." 

 

Hermione looked at the shelf in front of her and saw what Harry was referring to. In the middle of several shelves showing of rings, earrings and bracelets with diamonds, rubies and sapphires, were two simple rings; one was made of silver and the other of gold, both sporting a nearly translucent stone. 

 

"I thought you were a peculiar girl." Mr. Trent said as he approached Hermione. "Not surprised that a peculiar item like that caught your eye." 

 

"How is it peculiar?" Hermione asked. 

 

"As you can see, most of the gems here have very rich and vibrant colours, this one does not." The old man explained as he took out the rings and put one on. "It is because it can turn into whatever colour its owner want." 

 

To prove his point, he raised his finger with the ring on it and the gem turned a bright blue, then fiery red, and slowly to a soft shade of green.

 

"But there's more to it than that." Mr. Trent said and asked Hermione to wear the other ring.  _ ‘It has a special ability.’ _

 

Hermione heard Mr. Trent say but his lips didn't move one inch. 

 

"If someone else has it, you can speak to each other with your minds? How?" Hermione asked. 

 

"I'm not sure how exactly." The shopkeeper said as he removed the ring. "But I first found out about it a few days after my supplier brought it to me along with the other gems. I was sitting in the living room, holding a piece of it, wondering what I should make with it. My youngest was sitting in front of the fireplace with another piece. He loved colours and was so excited when I told him that the stone he was holding could turn into any colour." Harry smiled at hearing Mr. Trent reminisce about fond memories of his son. "I was struggling and then I heard my son, babble about several things. I asked him to keep quiet, but he told me he hadn't said a word. When I told him what I heard him say, he said he didn't say those things, he thought them. I began researching and all I've found is that witches and wizards used them as means of communication when muggles were hunting them down. This way was easier and less obvious than owls."

 

Just then the door opened and a familiar rage inducing face appeared. 

 

"What are you doing here, Weasley? Seeing if you can get a job polishing the wares?" Draco asked mockingly. "I suppose it's the only way you'll be able to get to hold something like these in your lifetime." 

 

Ron and Hermione glared at the Slytherin and his goons. Harry was contemplating whether or not to drag Draco back towards the Shrieking Shack, when the door opened again and another Slytherin entered. 

 

"Ah, Joseph my boy, good to see you." Mr. Trent said as he shook the teen's hand. 

 

"Likewise Mr. Trent. I'm here to pick up the package for my parents." Joseph said and the old man asked him to come to the counter. 

 

Joseph looked at Hermione and Ron. Harry thought that the Slytherin looked different, but he couldn't figure out what. He was also surprised to see that Draco had quieted down and his focus was no longer on his friends, but on his housemate. Joseph gave a nod to Crabbe and Goyle, then looked at Draco for a while and then nodded as well before approaching the counter. Draco, Crabbe and Goyle left and although he was glad about that, Harry wondered why it felt like the temperature of the room dropped several degrees when the two Slytherins looked at each other. 

 

"There you are my boy." Mr. Trent said as he re-emerged from the back room, two boxes in his hands. "Your parents really make me work for it, don't they." 

 

"Well just imagine if you were their son." Joseph replied with a smile. He took out a fairly large pouch filled with galleons and handed it to Mr. Trent. 

 

"Thank you again. I'll give my parents your greetings." Joseph left, leaving Mr. Trent alone with the Gryffindors again. 

 

"Such a nice young man. His parents may only place an order at least five times a year, but they demand my best." Mr. Trent said. 

 

"What was that about sir?" Hermione asked. 

 

"Oh, Joseph's father has been a long time customer of mine." Mr. Trent explained. "Ever since he met his wife while they were in Hogwarts, he's always come to me for custom made jewellery." 

 

Just then, Harry had an idea and leaned forward to whisper in Hermione's ear. 

 

"Mr. Trent, I'd like to know if I placed an order today, would it be ready by Christmas day." The brunette asked. 

 

"Well it depends on what you want, my dear." Mr. Trent asked as he stroked his chin. "I could make a simple ring within a few hours." Harry gave the go signal and Hermione asked for a piece of paper to write down the order. "Well, I believe I can make this by Christmas. What address shall I send it to?" 

 

"A snowy owl will come in the morning to pick it up." Hermione replied. Harry discreetly handed Hermione a large pouch of galleons and the three went on their way after the old man thanked them.

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 6: Alone Time**

  
  


Harry woke to the calm sound of birds chirping and the crackling fire. Sitting up, he saw the empty beds and felt a slight longing for the noise that came from his rowdy housemates. Shrugging off the feeling, Harry got out of bed, took a hot shower, dressed in his warmest clothes and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. When he entered, he saw that the house tables were gone and all the teachers and students who were staying for the holidays all sat at the high table. 

 

"Good morning, Harry." Professor Dumbledore greeted with a smile. "Why don't you take the seat next to Mr. Diggory." 

 

Harry noticed that there were a lot less students than usual who stayed. It was probably because of Sirius Black being on the loose. He saw five Slytherins sitting together around Professor Snape, three Hufflepuffs, one of which was currently smiling at Harry, two Ravenclaws and three more Gryffindors. Breakfast was soon served and the students and teachers began eating and talking to each other. Harry and Cedric talked about random things when he just remembered something. 

 

"Professor Dumbledore, I was wondering if there's a room on the seventh floor with huge double-doors." He asked.

 

"No Harry, I don't recall such a room. All there is on the 7th floor corridor are a few broom closets." The headmaster replied. "But I do remember something strange that happened. One morning, I was walking around when I felt the strong urge to use the lavatory. I began heading back to my office in a rush and I found one of the cleanest and most orderly bathrooms I've ever been in after turning a few corners. I went looking for it another time, but I could not find it." 

 

Harry and Cedric looked at each other confused, and then returned to their breakfast.

 

After breakfast and a long discussion about the strange rooms in the seventh floor corridor, Harry and Cedric decided to go walk around. The two were in the courtyard while Hedwig and Archie, a fat, light brown barn owl owned by Cedric, flew overhead. 

 

"So, what did your parents say when you said you were staying for the holidays?" Harry asked. 

 

"Mom was worried and dad was furious." Cedric replied. "But their reactions were both caused by Sirius Black being in the area." 

 

Harry nodded and pursed his lips. Trying to distract himself, he focused his eyes on the two owls, who were now gliding down. They landed on one of the snow covered benches and cuddled with each other. Harry smiled and turned to see the older teen looking down at him with a smile of his own. 

 

"Those two have the right idea on how to keep warm." He said as he wrapped his arms around Harry's waist and pulled him closer.

 

"You'd think that with the amount fat Archie has, he wouldn't have a hard time keeping warm." Harry replied with a smirk. 

 

"Oh yeah? I'll teach you not to insult my owl." Cedric said before flinging Harry into a mound of snow. 

 

The Gryffindor brushed the snow off his head before quickly making snowballs and throwing them at the Hufflepuff. The two were now engaged in an all out war. Harry used the mound he was thrown on as cover, while Cedric moved from column to column under the covered walk. 

 

"Give up, Potter. I can move around freely, while you're stuck there." Cedric called out. 

 

"Yeah, well you're running out of ammo." Harry replied and he was right. Cedric was using the snow on the ledges and he was nearly out. He couldn't go too far back or he would've been exposed. His only hope was to cross the courtyard to get to the other side. Making three more snowballs, Cedric began running towards the other side, throwing the snowballs at Harry when he showed his head. Harry stood and aimed for Cedric, but the Hufflepuff's last snowball hit him square in the face as he threw his own. It flew off course and Harry heard a voice yell, but it was too low to be Cedric's. 

 

"Potter!" The voice yelled afterwards, and it was clear to Harry who he had hit. Snape was giving him the glare of death while his students around him were trying so hard not to laugh. The two approached and apologized, wishfully thinking that the snow cooled his temper. 

 

"Since you two have nothing better to do, you'll join the rest of us in refilling the potion stores." Snape said in an even tone.

 

"Well, this wasn't what I was hoping for our first day together." Cedric said as he and Harry knelt on the snow, trying to look for a plant that practically blended in with the surroundings. 

 

"Well, you can trust that Snape would kill all the fun in the world, if he had the chance." Harry muttered. 

 

Three of the five Slytherins were doing the same thing as Harry and Cedric, while Snape took the remaining two, Harry's new friend included, into the Forbidden Forest. Snape returned near noon with bags and jars full of different potion ingredients. Everyone else handed their jars. Harry and Cedric managed to fill theirs halfway, while the Slytherins' jars were completely full. Harry thought that Snape probably gave them tips or a spell to find them. They all then returned to the castle for lunch. 

 

"Students" Professor McGonagall called their attention while having lunch. "Due to the small number of you and with Sirius Black on the loose near Hogwarts, the headmaster has decided that all of you will stay in the Gryffindor common room." 

 

The other students began muttering to each other. 

 

"We know it's unconventional, but it is for your safety." Professor Dumbledore chimed in. "The Fat Lady has returned to her portrait, and extra precautions have been made to ensure that Sirius Black will not be able to enter the common room again."

 

Later at night, Harry sat in front of the fireplace, watching the students from other houses come in and look around. Eventually, everyone had settled in and the common room was filled with chatter again. 

 

"Interesting how your common room has a very cosy feel to it." Cedric stated as he sat beside Harry. 

 

"I thought it always felt this way because this was my first real home." Harry replied and rested his head on Cedric's shoulder. 

 

Harry had told Cedric how it was like living with the Dursleys and he wondered if Dumbledore knew and if he did, why did he let Harry stay there. He looked down at Harry and saw that he had fallen asleep. Taking him in his arms, Cedric carefully carried Harry to his bed and lay down beside him. The raven unconsciously move toward Cedric and pressed against him. The older teen smiled and wrapped an arm around Harry, thinking about the upcoming days they would be alone together, Christmas, New Year's. He then started thinking about the rest of the school year and come the end of it, Harry would return to the Dursleys, and that thought filled Cedric with dread and he started thinking of a way to prevent that from happening.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 7: A Very Merry Christmas**

  
  


"So, how do you want celebrate Christmas?" Cedric asked Harry as the two wrapped some gifts they had bought in Hogsmeade for their friends. 

 

"I don't really know." Harry said. "We could just celebrate it here in the common room or in the bedroom." 

 

Those ideas were fine, but they didn't seem special enough to Cedric. He wanted everything to be perfect for in a week's time, they wouldn't be able to spend as much time together.

 

"Good morning, Harry, Mr. Diggory." Professor Lupin said as he entered the common room. "Might I borrow Harry for a while?" 

 

"Of course, professor." Cedric replied, then turned to Harry. "I'll finish wrapping these gifts." 

 

Harry gave Cedric a smile and walked out of the common room with Professor Lupin. Cedric began walking around the castle after wrapping the gifts. He was thinking about how to make Christmas more special. In all honesty, he just wanted to make Harry extremely happy and make it a day they'll treasure forever. 

 

"Ah Mr. Diggory, is there anything I can help you with?" A quiet voice said and Cedric pulled away from his thoughts to see Professor Dumbledore and that he had stopped in front of the entrance to his office. 

 

"Headmaster, no not really. I was lost in thought." Cedric explained. 

 

"Well, there must be something you wished to speak to me about, otherwise you would not be here." Dumbledore said. He moved ahead of Cedric, said the password, and led the prefect into his office. 

 

"Muggle sweet?" Dumbledore offered as Cedric sat across from him. "I'm very fond of the Lemon Drop." 

 

Cedric took one and thanked the headmaster. 

 

"Sir, Harry's been living with his relatives, the Dursleys, all his life." Cedric began as the sweet and sour taste began to fade. "Do you know what kind of people they are?" 

 

"They are strange." The headmaster said. "They have this obsession with being normal. They refuse to acknowledge the magical world even though they have people in their own family who are witches and wizards." 

 

"Then do you know how they've been treating Harry?" Cedric felt a small pool of anger growing inside him, and he nearly exploded when Dumbledore nodded his head. "Then why didn't you find Harry a different home?"

 

"Mr. Diggory, I'm sure that you are as aware as the rest of our world of the night Mr. Potter lost his parents." Dumbledore said. 

 

"He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named went to their home with the intention of killing them all." Cedric replied with a nod. 

 

"Not all of them, just Harry. His mother and father simply got in his way." Dumbledore corrected. "But what only a few people know is that when the Dark Lord casted the Killing Curse, intending it for Harry, his mother threw herself in between them, which activated an ancient magic." 

 

Cedric took a deep breath and let it out slowly. 

 

"To make it understandable, when Lily Potter threw herself in front of the Killing Curse, her blood became Harry's protection, blood which courses in his and his aunt's veins." Dumbledore explained. "As long as he can call his aunt's house his home, he cannot be touched by people who wish to do him harm." 

 

"People like Sirius Black?" Cedric said and Dumbledore nodded.

 

"I would ask that you keep this information private for now." Dumbledore said and Cedric agreed and excused himself.

 

Cedric walked a short distance before sitting on a bench. He took a deep breath and tried to process the information that was given to him. He was extremely bothered by the fact that he got this information from the headmaster and not Harry himself, it felt like he was going behind Harry's back. He couldn't even tell the Gryffindor, which put him in a dilemma; Dumbledore said that as long as Harry could call his relative's house his home, he would be safe. But what if something happens in the future and Harry doesn't consider the Dursleys' house his home anymore. Sighing in frustration, Cedric pushed the thought to the back of his mind and focused on his previous task of figuring out how to make Christmas more memorable.

 

* * *

Harry had just finished talking with Professor Lupin and he had returned to the Gryffindor common room to find Cedric, but he wasn't there. He was about to go look for him when someone entered. 

 

"Hey Joseph." Harry said with a smile and the Slytherin nodded his way before heading for the stairs. "Is everything alright?" 

 

"Yes, everything is fine." Came the obvious reply. 

 

"I doubt that." He said. "Let me help you. You're helping me with a problem." 

 

"The difference being that you asked for help." Joseph replied, then sighed. "I'm sorry. I didn't intend to be mean, but the problem I'm having, I need to face alone."

 

“Alright,, but if you do decide you want help, you can come to me” Harry said.

 

“Thank you, and I’ll keep that in mind” Joseph said with a nod

 

“Are you doing anything?” Harry asked, and Joseph shook his head. “Well, could you help me with something?”

 

Harry then led Joseph to his room but since there were other people there, they went into the room Joseph was staying in with his fellow Slytherins

 

"On the last day Hogsmeade trip I went and bought Cedric some gifts." Harry began and the other raven motioned for him to continue. "I got him some normal stuff; a sweater, some Quidditch supplies. But I also got him something from Mr. Trent's shop." 

 

"I did think it was strange to find Hermione and Weasley there." Joseph stated. "So, what's wrong?" 

 

"I'm just worried that Cedric won't like what I got him." Harry said and hugged himself. "What if he thinks it's too much, or he hates it?" 

 

As he began to shake, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he looked at the taller raven. 

 

"Did you know what you wanted to buy for Cedric at the start?" Joseph asked and Harry shook his head. "Did something draw you to Mr. Trent's shop?" Harry nodded. "Then you have nothing to worry about. It's cliché to think about it, but there's something magical that shop." 

 

Harry nodded and gave a smile, and was met with a smaller one from the Slytherin. Harry was about to leave the room when something caught his eye; a black piece of paper, underneath the pillow Joseph was sleeping on. The Slytherin had left earlier, saying he had something to do. On one hand, Harry didn't want to invade his friend's privacy. On the other, he wanted to help him with what's been bothering him. Mustering all the Gryffindor courage he had, Harry lifted the pillow and picked up a black envelope. On the back, it was addressed to Joseph, every word written in an elegant style and green ink. Harry admired the handwriting but his eyes widened when he saw who sent him the letter, Narcissa Malfoy. Harry took out the contents, which were two letters; one was from Mrs. Malfoy and the other one was to Mrs. Malfoy, Joseph's supposed reply. The one from Mrs. Malfoy read;

 

_ Dear Joseph, _

 

_ How are you? Are you doing well in your studies? I hope that your lessons are not putting too much stress on you. We were surprised to hear that you chose not to return home this year for the holidays, but I guess we should've expected it to happen soon enough. Both your parents did stay for the holidays as well when they were students to study. _

 

_ I'm also concerned because that when I mentioned it to Draco, he didn't seem surprised and he has been acting strange lately. Did anything happen in school or between the two of you? I don't wish for either, but I'd prefer the former over the latter. You two have been good friends to each other and a friendship like yours ending would be extremely painful. Our thoughts are with you. _

 

_ Narcissa Malfoy (nee Black) _

 

Harry was surprised to see how caring and loving Draco's mother is towards Joseph. Perhaps the relationship between the Malfoy and Duskgem families was stronger than Harry expected. Setting down the letter, he took the other and it read;

 

_ Dear Mrs. Malfoy, _

 

_ I am well, as are my studies. The lessons have an acceptable amount of challenge to them, which is good for intellectual development. Regarding as to why I am staying in Hogwarts and Draco, staying for my studies is merely half the reason. I will be perfectly honest; something did happen between Draco and I, but if Draco has not told you, then I cannot divulge that information. Thank you for your concern but Draco and I can handle this ourselves like mature adults. No matter what may happen, I will continue to watch over Draco. _

 

_ Joseph Duskgem _

 

_ 'So something did happen between those two.' _ Harry thought as he returned the letters under the pillow. He didn't know what to do now because he doesn't know what happened and Malfoy was involved. _ 'I wonder what he meant by 'continue to watch over Draco.'' _

 

He walked back to his room and found Cedric on his bed. 

 

"Hey, did you just finish with Professor Lupin?" He asked and Harry nodded. 

 

"What did you do while I was gone?" He asked as he lied down beside Cedric. 

 

"Finished wrapping the gifts, wrote a few letters, and took a walk." Cedric replied and pulled Harry closer. "I was also thinking of a way to make this Christmas memorable." 

 

Harry smiled and buried his face into Cedric's chest. He was so touched and happy that Cedric was thinking about all of that for him. 

 

"I don't care if we celebrate Christmas here, or the most extravagant place in the world." Harry said as he looked up at the older teen. "Every second with you is memorable Cedric Diggory." Cedric gave a wide grin and wrapped his arm tighter around Harry's waist. 

 

"That was the cheesiest line I've ever heard." He said before kissing the raven.

 

* * *

As Christmas morning dawned, the students woke and began opening their presents. Harry and Cedric began with opening their gifts from their friends and family. Mrs. Weasley sent Harry the usual hand knitted sweater. What was strange this year was she sent two; one was red with the letter H in gold, while the second one was yellow and the H was black. He wondered if Hermione had said something or if Ron found out. He had also gotten a wooden carving of Buckbeak from Hagrid and a few books from Hermione about exploring his sexuality and notable gay wizards and witches. Harry hid his blushing face when Cedric saw and tried crawling back into bed. 

 

"Come on Harry, I'm sure Hermione meant well." Cedric chuckled as he hugged the embarrassed teen. 

 

Cedric had gotten several clothes from his parents, some assorted sweets from his other friend and the most interesting one in Harry's opinion, the book titled "The Merchant of Venice." 

 

"You like William Shakespeare?" Harry asked. "I like all muggle literature in general, really." Cedric replied. "The way they tell their stories are a little similar, but so different from wizard authors." 

 

Harry smiled as he saw the Hufflepuff's eyes light up as he talked. Just then, there was a knock on the door. Harry stood and answered. 

 

"Good morning, Joseph." He said with a smile. "Merry Christmas." 

 

"Merry Christmas, Harry." Joseph replied and Harry asked him to come in, but he refused. "I just came to drop these off." 

 

He handed two gifts to Harry; a somewhat large and heavy one, and a smaller package. Harry thanked him and returned to sit next to Cedric on the bed. 

 

"Joseph dropped these off." Harry said as he showed the packages and Cedric internally scoffed. Harry examined the smaller package, read the greeting card, and opened it. His eyes widened as he pulled out a golden pocket watch. The design was intricate and elegant, and the mechanism on the inside was reminiscent of the steampunk design Harry had seen in some comic books. Cedric stared at it in awe as well, but he was getting a sinking feeling about his own gift to Harry. 

 

"Ced, this for you." Harry said and Cedric was stunned. The older teen looked at the card and it was addressed to him. He eyed the package, pulled off the wrapping and found a thick, black book entitled "The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe." 

 

"I'm getting mixed signals from this." He said and Harry looked at him. "On one hand, this is a great gift, on the other hand, Edgar Allan Poe is one of the greatest horror writers."

 

The time had come for them to exchange gifts. They both brought out three beautifully wrapped packages each. Both their hearts accelerated as they gave the gifts to each other. Cedric opened the package containing the Quidditch maintenance kit and thanked Harry, saying that he was about to run out of his own supplies. Harry opened a package containing several cards with moving portraits of several Quidditch teams with their stats and general info. 

 

"They're like muggle trading cards, but these actually update themselves." Cedric explained. 

 

They both opened the next packages, Cedric smiling at the green sweater that reminded him of Harry's eyes, and Harry took out a long, green and silver scarf, wrapping it around himself, chuckling as the soft fabric tickled his neck. They cleared the empty boxes and torn wrapping paper, and then Cedric picked up Harry's last gift to him. It was a small box, wrapped in red with a gold ribbon, and there was a faint jingling sound when he shook it. Taking off the lid, he took out a necklace with its defining feature being the snitch the chain was attached to. Cedric smiled at it, then turned to Harry, gave him a big hug, and a kiss on the cheek.

 

"I love it." He whispered and Harry smiled widely, his anxiety replaced with pure joy. 

 

"There's more to it." Harry said and showed an entirely similar necklace he was wearing. He showed how the snitch and its wings turned to any colour Harry wanted it to. "We can also use it to talk to each other." 

 

Cedric stared at the necklace in awe. Harry had put in so much thought into this gift. Receiving the necklace from Harry made Cedric feel extremely happy and nervous. After wearing it,, he slowly took a wide and thick package and handed it Harry. The younger teen was confused as to why Cedric looked that way, but he eyed the package and tore off the wrapping paper. It was brown book with simple designs on the cover. Harry flipped through the pages and saw they were blank, save for a few designs and empty, rectangular boxes, varying in sizes and amounts in different pages. 

 

"It's a wizard photo album." Cedric said. "There's a spell we can cast that will capture the moment as it is, and the book can also capture crucial moments on its own without us having to cast the spell or bring it with us." Cedric picked at the hem of his shirt as he explained. "I know it's not a necklace, or a pocket watch, but I thought that…" 

 

The older teen didn't get to finish as he felt something push him down and saw Harry with his face buried into Cedric's chest, his arms wrapped tightly around the Hufflepuff. 

 

"I never wanted or will want anything fancy or expensive." Harry explained. "Sure Joseph's gift is expensive and I like it, but I really don't see myself using things like it. You got me a thoughtful gift,one that I’ll probably use every day . I love it and I love you." 

 

Cedric eyes widened as he was caught off guard, then smiled and held the Gryffindor tighter, burying his face in the messy black hair. 

 

"I love you too, Harry. Merry Christmas." Cedric whispered. And for the rest of the day, other than leaving for meals and occasional trips to the loo, the two stayed together in the room, not realizing that a picture of them wrapped in each others' arms, staring lovingly at each other had filled the large spot on the first page of the album.

 


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 7.5: Memory Lane**

  
  


The sunlight shone in through the tall windows, shining on the polished, marble floors. Walking down the staircase, I see father giving orders to the house elves and mother checking her appearance in a mirror. 

 

"Draco, don't you look handsome." Mother said as I reached the last step. "Isn't this exciting? You're going to make a new friend today." 

 

I wonder why we were receiving guests when grandfather was sick, much less why I was trying to make a friend. 

 

"Now Draco, I know you might be nervous, considering you've never interacted with anyone other than your father and I." Mother explained as he smoothed out the lines on my clothes. "But Joseph is a nice boy your age, who will eventually become your schoolmate. It will be good to have a friend when you start studying there." 

 

I nodded and stood in front of the floo beside mother. A few minutes later, green fire appeared and two men came out, both dressed in fine robes. One looked to be father's age while the other looked to be grandfather's. They both had short, neatly combed hair and amber eyes. They approached father and greeted each other with a smile. 

 

"Narcissa my dear, you look even lovelier than when you got married." The old man said as he approached my mother. 

 

"Thank you, Lord Magnus." She replied with a smile and nudged me a little. "This is my son, Draco." 

 

"Hello Draco, I'm Magnus Duskgem, a good friend of your grandfather." He said and extended his hand. 

 

"Hello sir, I'm Draco Malfoy. It's a pleasure to meet you." I said and shook his hand.

 

Father led the two men up the staircase, heading for grandfather's room. The sound of more people arriving caught my ear and I turned and saw a woman in a long dress walk out of the floo and hug my mother. 

 

"Narcissa, it's been too long." She said. 

 

"It has, Alyssa." Mother replied. "It is your fault, you know. I told you not to work in the Ministry." 

 

The woman was as tall as mother and had long, brown hair that draped over her shoulders. He brown eyes shone in bright contrast to her slightly tanned skin. I noticed something move behind her and I moved a little to the left to see what it was. It was the young boy my mother told me of and he looked exactly like his grandfather and father; he had pale skin, but a darker shade compared to the first two men. His short, black hair was combed neatly to one side, and he had amber eyes that shone behind black, rectangular glasses. 

 

"Joseph, go ahead and introduce yourself." The woman said and the boy walked slowly around his mother. 

 

"Hello, my name is Joseph Duskgem, it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He said and I smiled, because I had never seen anyone else my age be that proper. 

 

"Hello, Joseph. I'm Narcissa Malfoy and this is my son Draco." Mother replied before turning to me. "Draco, why don't you take Joseph with you to your room?"

 

I led the other boy towards my room. Since introducing himself, he hadn't said a word. 

 

"Well, here we are." I said as we entered the wide, spacious room. After leading him around and showing my toys, we sat on the sofa at the corner. 

 

"You have a very nice room." Joseph said and I only realized now how quietly he spoke. 

 

"Thank you, but I'm sure your room is just as nice." I replied smiling at him. 

 

"I have fewer toys." He pointed out. "My room is mostly filled with books." 

 

I wondered whether that was a choice he or his parents made. 

 

"An Introduction to Potion Making." He read the title of one of the books I had out loud. "I had just begun reading this a few weeks ago." 

 

"Father bought me the book because Potions was his favourite subject in school." I replied. "It seems interesting, but I'm not smart enough to understand it."

 

Hearing a slight chuckle, I turned and saw the other boy with a small smile. 

 

"You don't need to be smart; you just need to be patient." He said. "Come on, I'll help you."

 

 

* * *

 

"Are you nervous about starting school next year?" I asked. 

 

"A little, you?" Joseph replied, sitting across from me in my mother's garden. 

 

Since we first met, Joseph and I had been close friends. We've visited each others' houses, attended each others' birthdays, and exchanged gifts on Christmas. It's been five years and we were going to begin studying at Hogwarts next year. 

 

"Honestly, I'm so nervous it's making me sick." I replied. 

 

"What's wrong Draco?" He asked as he set down his book. 

 

"We're going to start living someplace we don't even know how to navigate, with a whole bunch of people we don't recognize." I vented. 

 

I never told anyone, but I had trouble interacting with people I had just met. Even with Joseph; I thought his first visit was going to be a disaster until he mentioned An Introduction to Potion Making. "What's worse is that we might not even be in the same house." 

 

"I'm sure we will, Draco." He said as he sat beside me. 

 

"Keep telling yourself that." I muttered. "I know that our fathers have been arguing a lot lately. I'm sure you're taking your father's side."

 

It was silent for a while, with him just looking at me, and me just looking at the floor. 

 

"Until I know what they're arguing about, I can't completely say that I'm on my father's side. But what happens between them doesn't change the fact that we're friends." He finally said. "And it doesn't matter if we're in different houses; I'll still help you because I know you'll still help me if that happened." 

 

I was surprised because the other children that my father had insisted I become friends with had a different mindset; they were like a pack of wolves, fending for themselves. If anyone in the group thought differently, they'd become an outcast. Out of everything that was making me nervous, what filled me with the most dread was being in the huge school with all those people, and not have a single real friend. I had a strong urge to hug the taller boy, and it was only a few moments later when I realized that I was. I pulled away and turned my face in the other direction as a house elf appeared, informing us that Joseph and his mother were about to leave. We were walking back to the house and I was still hiding my embarrassment when I heard him chuckle. 

 

"You don't have to worry Draco." He said with a small smile. "I will always be here for you."

 

* * *

"Draco." I heard someone say a looked and saw my mother sitting next to me. "Is everything alright, my dragon? I sent a house elf to call you, but they said you wouldn't acknowledge them. And I called your name three times before you responded." 

 

"It's nothing mother, I've just had a lot on my mind recently." I replied with a smile. 

 

"Well, our guests are about to arrive. Please get ready." She said, meaning Joseph's parents. 

 

She gave me a smile and a squeeze on my hand before leaving. As I stood to stretch, I heard something fall. I looked down and saw a book. Picking it up, I sighed in seeing that it was An Introduction to Potion Making.

 


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 8: New Friends, New Year, New Resolutions**

  
  


"Professor Snape is pure evil." Harry said as he let his head fall on the desk. 

 

"Come on Harry, Potions is not that hard if you apply yourself." Cedric said as he sat next to the younger. 

 

"He can't hear you, you don't have to kiss arse." Harry joked and gave Cedric a short kiss. "How do you survive his classes?" 

 

"First is I'm not you." Cedric replied, making Harry hit his arm. "Second, I'm sharing a table with someone who knows what he's doing." 

 

As if on cue, Harry saw Joseph and called him over. 

 

"Can I help you?" He asked when he arrived. 

 

"Can you help me?" Harry pleaded and the Slytherin sat next to him and looked over the assignment. 

 

"Really, you can't figure this out?" He asked. 

 

"Why is everyone channelling their inner Snape today?" Harry muttered. 

 

Joseph just sighed and brought out some stuff; a bezoar, a few snake fangs, a bunch of lavender, and differently coloured flowers. 

 

"What's with all this?" Cedric asked. 

 

"A project." Was Joseph's reply.

 

"Why do you think we would add a bezoar minutes before a snake fang?" Harry thought for a while before shrugging. "A bezoar is bigger and rougher than a snake fang. It'll take longer for it to incorporate into the mixture. Each ingredient has a different set of properties that react differently to other ingredients." Joseph then held up two flowers, similar in form but different in colour, and a sprig of lavender. "Let's say we're making an antidote for a love potion. Lavender is one of its main ingredients. We later add the blue flower and then the mixture bubbles and turns blue. Do you think we would get the same reaction if we added the red flower instead?" Harry nodded and Joseph sighed. "No because the red flower, although originally blue, was cross pollinated with a rose. Adding it would've ruined the antidote because the traits of the rose interact differently with the mixture, more specifically, lavender." 

 

Joseph had also explained why it was important to add the ingredients in order. In half an hour, Harry was done with his Potions assignment.

 

"Do you want to have lunch with us?" Harry asked as Joseph began packing his stuff. 

 

"I wouldn't want to impose on your date." He replied 

 

"It wouldn't be an imposition at all." Harry said and looked at Cedric, who smiled. 

 

Seeing as how he couldn't get out of this one, Joseph agreed and the three walked out the library. They were heading to Black Lake and Harry was a few feet away while Cedric and Joseph walked side by side. 

 

"Thank you for the book. It was a great gift." Cedric said. "It makes me feel bad for not getting you one." 

 

"It's no problem." Joseph replied. Harry had explained what had gone on between Joseph and himself before they got together. 

 

"So why do you still help Harry, even if we're together?" Cedric asked. 

 

"Just because two people are in a relationship doesn't mean it's a happy one." Joseph replied coldly. "You've got a long way to go to prove that you're a good partner." 

 

"Just admit it; you've grown fond of Harry." Cedric stated with a smile and the Slytherin grunted in response. 

 

"I won't admit such a thing." He said. "On a different note, if you hurt him, I will cut off your balls and you will never see them again." 

 

The Hufflepuff knew the threat was serious, but he couldn't help but smile.

 

* * *

"Draco, we shouldn't be doing this. Let's go back." Joseph said. 

 

"You were the one who said you wanted to see the river." Draco replied. "And we're really close." 

 

The two boys had entered the forest bordering the Malfoy estate. A few minutes earlier, they were looking through a book about magical creatures. They got to the part about magical creatures that lived in or close to a river and they were some of the most beautiful things the boys had ever seen. Draco then decided to lead his friend to the lake which he and his mother had frequented several times. A few minutes later, the two boys could hear the splashing of water and the nearly silent flowing of the river. It was an amazing sight; water sparkled in the sunlight and the plants surrounding it had such beautiful and vivid colours. Draco and Joseph stayed in a bush and waited for the magical creatures. 

 

"I thought we'd see some." Draco said sadly. 

 

"Maybe it's because we're near your house." Joseph said. "The book said they live far away from places with buildings." 

 

Draco nodded and looked at his friend. 

 

"Well, at least we'll get to swim." He said with a smile. 

 

"What? We only came here to look for magical creatures." Joseph stated. "There are none so let's go back." 

 

"Aw come on, we're already here. The water's really great." Draco pleaded with puppy eyes. "And it would be a shame to say we wasted getting here for nothing." 

 

The taller boy crossed his arms and turned away, but he eventually gave into the blonde. The two had taken off everything they were wearing but their shorts and began wading in the shallow parts of the river. Joseph admitted that the river water was very pleasant but he didn't like being so far away from the adults. It meant that if something happened to Draco, he wouldn't be able to call for help. A few minutes later, Joseph let the water reach up until his stomach and relaxed. 

 

"Aren't you glad I convinced you to swim?" Draco asked with a smirk and Joseph splashed some water in the blonde's face, making Draco retaliate. In a few minutes, it was all out war between the two. The two eventually stopped splashing water since their arms got tired and Joseph opted trying to catch the shorter boy. The two had smiles on their face and Draco squealed with delight the entire time.

 

"You'll never catch me!" Draco exclaimed. 

 

"Draco, don't get too close to the centre of the river." Joseph warned him. He knew that was where the current was strongest. Unfortunately, Draco had tripped and fell straight into the centre.

 

"Draco!" Joseph yelled as he tried looking for the blonde. He tried to get close to the centre without getting pulled in. A minute had passed and Draco had not resurfaced. Panic and dread began to fill Joseph as he frantically moved down the river. Just as he was on the brink of yelling, there was a loud splash and a blonde head popped out of the water a few feet away. Joseph rushed to Draco and brought them to the shallow part. 

 

“Draco, are you alright?" He said as he inspected Draco for any cuts or bruises. After completely checking, the raven hugged the other boy, who hugged back, and a wave of relief enveloped him. "I was so scared and worried." 

 

"I was too." Draco said, his head resting on the taller boy's chest and his eyes glistening with tears ready to fall. 

 

"This is why we shouldn't be so far away from home. I couldn't do anything and there was no one else who could help" Joseph didn't mean to scold the Draco, but he was doing it on impulse. "I was so scared. It felt like my heart was going to explode." 

 

Draco felt bad, but not because he nearly drowned, he was safe now. He felt bad because he caused his friend to become so scared and worried. Joseph didn't even need to mention that his heart felt like it was going to explode. Draco could hear how fast it was beating.

 

After a while, the two dried themselves and returned to the manor. Joseph was sleeping over and they were getting for bed, but neither had spoken a word to each other. The two were now on Draco's bed, but the blonde couldn't sleep. He was still feeling immensely guilty for making Joseph extremely worried that afternoon. He wanted to apologize, but he didn't think it would've been enough. He kept thinking that Joseph would stop being friends with him because he had caused so much trouble. 

 

"Draco, are you awake?" Joseph asked quietly and Draco nodded. "I need to tell you something."

 

Draco turned to face the raven to see those amber eyes looking tiredly at him. 

 

_ 'This is probably it.' _ Draco thought, trying hard not to let the tears fall yet. 

 

"I'm sorry." Joseph said and he was shocked. 

 

"Sorry for what?" He asked in disbelief. "I'm the one who brought us to the lake, I'm the one made us swim, I'm the one who made you worry." 

 

"I'm sorry because I couldn't help you, I couldn't keep you safe." Joseph explained, his tears began to fall. "You needed my help, and I couldn't do anything."

 

The blonde boy moved closer to his friend and hugged him tightly, burying his face in his chest. 

 

"I'm the one who should be sorry. I should've listened to you." He said. "Good friends listen to each other and not make each other worry. I don't deserve to be your friend." 

 

"You're the most amazing friend ever." Joseph said and hugged Draco tighter. 

 

The next few minutes were filled with tears, more apologies, and the eventual agreement that neither of them were to blame. They had fallen asleep in each others' arms. It was early the next morning when Joseph awoke. He looked down at the boy resting on his chest. 

 

"I promise Draco, I'll get stronger so I can always protect you." He whispered before falling back to sleep.

 

* * *

The Slytherin sat up with a start and looked around. He eventually remembered that he had lunch with Harry and Cedric and while the two decided to go for a swim, he stayed under the tree to read a book. 

 

"Hey, you're finally up." Harry said as he approached. "I'm sorry if we didn't wake you." 

 

"It's alright." Joseph replied and checked his pocket watch. "Excuse me, but I have to leave already." 

 

Harry nodded and said goodbye to the Slytherin before returning to Cedric in the lake. After half an hour, the two got out and dried themselves. They walked slowly back towards the castle while holding hands. Cedric looked at Harry to see him frowning. 

 

"What's wrong?" He asked. 

 

"I'm just going to miss this." Harry replied. "Tomorrow's New Year's Eve and two days later, everyone will be back, and then classes resume again."

 

Cedric also dreaded the end of the holidays. The time he could spend with Harry would be reduced to a minimum. He didn't even know if he would be able to see Harry during the summer. Despite all this, he put on a smile and made the younger teen look at him. 

 

"It doesn't matter how much time we'll spend together. I love being around you, Harry, even if it's only for a few minutes in a corridor." He said. "And I'm sure we'll find a way to spend more time together." 

 

Harry smiled and they continued on their way.

 

"How about we celebrate New Year's Eve at the Astronomy Tower? You, me, and Joseph?" Cedric asked. 

 

Harry smiled, he was glad Cedric had taken a liking to the Slytherin. Cedric also appreciated how the other raven had Harry's back and decided that it would only be beneficial to befriend him.

 

* * *

Draco sat at his desk, staring down at dark brown book. It was a book that he and Joseph wanted for a long time. It was an extremely popular tome on potion making. The two had stopped by the book shop the day Joseph made the first year cry and inquired about it. The shopkeeper told them they were currently sold out and that the next shipment arriving the day after Christmas, all but one copy had been reserved. Draco let Joseph have the last book, but here he was, staring at it, in pristine condition. It arrived a day after Christmas, simply wrapped, with a note saying "Merry Christmas." 

 

"Draco, are you alright?" His mother asked as she entered. "Is there anything wrong with Joseph's gift?" The blonde merely shook his head. "I'm getting worried, dragon. What happened between the two of you?" 

 

Draco sighed, thinking that it was best to get his mother's opinion. He explained everything and told her how Joseph practically confessed to him. 

 

"You haven't spoken to each other since?" Narcissa asked and Draco shook his head. 

 

"I don't know what to do, mother." He said. 

 

"Do you view Joseph differently now?" Narcissa asked and Draco shook his head again. "Do you not want him as a friend anymore?"

 

"Of course not." Draco replied immediately. "I just don't know what to say to him anymore." 

 

"How do you feel about him?" Narcissa asked and there was silence. "You must answer that question, dragon. Once you do, you'll know what to say to him." Narcissa gave his son a quick hug before leaving.

 

* * *

Harry, Cedric and Joseph walked up the Astronomy Tower and found a couch, some lounge chairs, and a table with food, drinks and some noise makers. Cedric and Harry sat beside each other on the couch while Joseph settled on a lounge chair and a few minutes later, the sky was lit up by an array of colours and shapes. Harry always loved to watch fireworks, but being here with Cedric made watching it even better. The show ended and the three remained and talked. 

 

"Hey, how about we make some resolutions?" Cedric asked and Harry got excited while the Slytherin raised an eyebrow. 

 

"I'll start." Harry said. "I'll make an effort to listen to Snape during lessons." 

 

"It should be something possible." Joseph stated with a smirk and earned a chuckle from Cedric. "I don't even know where to start." 

 

"How about not making first years cry?" Cedric replied. 

 

"It has to be something possible, remember?" Joseph returned, making Harry laugh. "Fine, I will do my best not to insult everyone who says something idiotic." 

 

"And I promise to keep my friends and loved ones, old and new, safe." Cedric stated. Harry smiled but wondered why Joseph had pursed his lips.

 

"Harry, can I speak to you privately?" Joseph asked. Harry nodded and they went to the other side of the Astronomy Tower. 

 

"I know you read my letters." Joseph said as he leaned on the railings 

 

"Are you mad?" Harry asked nervously. 

 

"No, I'm not." Joseph replied. "But now you realize that there's nothing you can do to help, right?" 

 

Harry nodded and he felt bad about not being able to help. 

 

"If there's anything I can do, you can come to me." Harry pointed out. Joseph looked at him for a while before smiling and nodding. 

 

"You know, I just helped you in the beginning to get even with Hermione." The Slytherin began. "But I've come to like you Harry Potter." 

 

"I'm happy we were introduced to each other too." Harry replied with a smile. "But what did Hermione do for you?" 

 

"That's a story for another time. I wouldn't want to ruin tonight's celebrations." Joseph replied. "I promise I'll tell you, but you'll just have to wait." 

 

After that they returned to Cedric and based what had happened tonight, Harry had high hopes for the new year.

 


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 9: Back To Normal**

  
  


Harry looked out the window of his room and sighed. All of their schoolmates would be back by lunch time, and he and Cedric would have to go back to their normal routines, meaning minimal contact with the brunette. 

 

"Harry?" Cedric said sleepily as he sat up from the bed. 

 

Harry gave his boyfriend a small smile before looking out of the window again. Cedric stood, sat behind Harry, and wrapped his arms around him. They stayed silent for a while. They were both dreading today, then end of the holidays, returning to their normal lives and hiding their relationship from most of the world. 

 

"We should get ready." Cedric suggested and Harry nodded. "Hey, it's not the end of the world. We'll still see each other and thanks to you, we can talk to each other whenever we want."

 

Harry gave the Hufflepuff a smile. 

 

"We have a few hours until everyone arrives. What do you want to do?" He asked.

 

"How about we go for a walk?" Cedric suggested and Harry agreed. They began with walking around the corridors, and then moved to the grounds. Harry stopped when he spotted Hagrid's Hut and frowned, realizing the fate that would eventually befall Buckbeak. 

 

"I heard about what happened to Malfoy." Cedric said. "Did he really squeal like a girl?" 

 

Harry and Cedric descended and entered the area behind Hagrid's Hut. There they found Buckbeak, tied to a tree. The two approached and bowed towards the hippogriff. Buckbeak bowed back and Harry began untying him. 

 

"Harry, what're you doing?" Cedric asked. 

 

"Buckbeak hasn't flown since the incident." Harry said as he climbed onto Buckbeak. "If you don't want to come along, then stay here." 

 

Cedric looked at Harry for a while before sighing and climbing behind him. Buckbeak got a running start before taking off. Cedric wrapped his arms firmly around Harry's chest, while the Gryffindor smiled at him. They flew over the forest and lake and Cedric eventually relaxed. They flew for five minutes before landing again. Harry didn't want to tie up Buckbeak again, but he had no choice. He gave Buckbeak two rabbits and promised he'd try to fly him again soon. 

 

"Don't worry, I'm sure Dumbledore will find a way to save him." Cedric reassured Harry as they headed back for the castle. Harry knew Dumbledore was capable of many things, but even he wondered how the old wizard would fare against the wrath of Lucius Malfoy, someone who was able to convince the Hogwarts Board of Governors to suspend him.

 

* * *

Draco and his friends walked down the hall towards their common room. While his friends chattered about their vacation, Draco was nervous. He hasn't figured out how he felt towards his old friend, but he knew it wasn't hate or disgust. 

 

"Pure-blood." He said and the wall leading to the common room opened. 

 

Walking inside, he spotted Joseph on the far side of the room, sitting on a lounge chair, reading a book. His eyes glanced up to the blonde for a short while before returning to the pages in front of him. While he stood there, his other friends walked around him and greeted the raven. 

 

"They forced you to sleep in the Gryffindor dormitories?" Pansy asked with a disgusted look. 

 

"What'd you expect from Dumbledore?" Blaise stated. "Bet you wish you had left now, huh?" 

 

"Other than being forced to sleep in another person's bed, it was rather pleasant not having to hear Pansy go on and on about her boyfriend." Joseph replied, receiving a light smack on his arm. "I assume all of you haven't forgotten about the Potions Essay?" 

 

"We didn't forget." Pansy remarked. "We also realized that you'd be done with it by now." 

 

"As long as you don't mention a single word about your holiday to me." Joseph replied as he summoned a bundle of parchment. Pansy took them and everyone else, excluding Draco, followed her to the desks.

 

"That was a smart move." Draco said after a long and awkward silence. "Pansy would've gone on and on how she and her boyfriend spent the holidays in Switzerland." Joseph merely nodded, his eyes never leaving his book. "Thank you, also, for the gift. It was very thoughtful." 

 

"Draco, don't do this." Joseph said and the blonde gave him a confused look. "We can act like we're friends around our parents and everyone else, but you don't have to talk to me anymore." 

 

"I still want to be your friend." Draco nearly shouted. "I don't hate you nor do I see you differently. I know you're still the same person who I've come to know as a true and irreplaceable friend." 

 

Joseph looked at him and eventually nodded, but Draco still felt uneasy because when his friend looked at him, instead of the calm or friendliness those amber eyes always held when they looked at him, they were now filled with uncertainty. But mostly, Draco wondered why he felt strangely after saying the word 'friend.'

 

"Joseph, you tosser." One of his housemates said as he approached them. He was around the same height as he was. He had a fit physique and a slightly tanned complexion, with blue eyes, and unkempt, short, brown hair that gave the Slytherin a natural attractiveness. "You caused me a lot of trouble this holiday." 

 

"Whatever do you mean, Theo?" Joseph asked and Draco's eyes widened. 

 

He couldn't believe that the person in front of him and the person who the girls fawned over and talked about on the train for their good looks was Theodore Nott, a person who a few months before looked as thin as Potter when he first met him.

 

"Well, my father has always encouraged me to make friends with 'the right people.'" Theo began as he sat on the armrest of Joseph's chair. "I had sent him letters on how I had become friends with the son of Stephen and Alyssa Duskgem. We eventually had dinner with your parents, and you weren't there, making my father question me." 

 

"What do you want me to do, write a letter to your father about all of the hours we spent in the library and how we're stationed next to each other during Potions?" Joseph asked sarcastically with a smile. 

 

Draco watched the exchange between the two. He wondered why he felt slightly uncomfortable about how familiar Nott was to the raven and when Joseph gave a genuine, unguarded smile, something he hadn't done in a while, and it wasn't directed at him, Draco felt a pool bubble in his stomach. 

 

"On the bright side, I got the MESP's revised potion recipes." Theo stated as he brought out a book with a brown and gold cover. "Want to go over it with me?" 

 

Joseph agreed, said a quick goodbye to Draco, and walked out the common room with Nott. Draco stared after them, the pool in his stomach growing with each second.

 

* * *

"Harry, how was your holiday?" Hermione asked as she greeted Harry. 

 

"It was fine, Hermione." He replied. 

 

"Just fine?" Hermione asked with a knowing look. 

 

"I'll tell you later." Harry whispered. "I'm still going to get back at you for your present, though." 

 

Ron came in and greeted his best mate with a hug. 

 

"Should we start on that Potions Essay?" He asked. 

 

"I've, actually, already done it." Harry answered, which shocked his two friends. "I had a lot of free time." 

 

Ron sighed and went to go ask Neville to join him in the library.

 

"Did Cedric help you write your essay?" Hermione asked. 

 

"Turns out, he's only slightly more adept at potions than me?" Harry replied with a smile. "Joseph actually helped me."

 

Hermione was surprised and Harry recounted the events of his holiday to Hermione. 

 

"Well, I'm glad you and Joseph have taken a mutual liking to each other." Hermione said. 

 

"What did you do for him, though?" Harry asked. "He said he'd eventually tell me, but I have a feeling the key to helping him is what he's not telling me." Hermione looked unsure, staring at the floor. "Please Hermione, he's done so much for me. I'd like to be able to help him too." 

 

"I can't divulge that information Harry, you know that." The brunette replied. "But it involved with helping him with Malfoy as well." 

 

Harry was confused. He wondered what Hermione had meant by that, but his train of thought was disrupted when Hagrid sent a letter saying that Buckbeak had been sentenced to death.

 


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 10: Time**

  
  


Cedric walked quickly through the halls. He had some free time after lunch and thought of relaxing for a bit, but he then heard Harry's voice asking him to meet behind Hagrid's Hut in a sad tone. He approached the clearing and spotted Harry and his friends staring at Buckbeak. He approached slowly, but stepped on a branch. Hermione spotted him and tugged on Ron's arm. 

 

"We'll see you back at the castle Harry." She said and left with Ron. 

 

Cedric left his hiding place and stood beside Harry. 

 

"They sentenced Buckbeak to death." Harry said after a long silence. Cedric pulled the Gryffindor into a hug and Harry held onto Cedric tightly. "It's not fair." 

 

Cedric just held on to the younger teen, kissing his head and rubbing his back comfortingly. They stayed like that for a while, both losing track of time. They broke off after hearing the sound of someone approaching and saw Joseph. 

 

"A pity, isn't it?" He asked and the other two merely nodded. 

 

"How'd you find out?" Cedric asked. 

 

"Draco bragged about how his father got the minister to pass the death sentence." Joseph explained. "But in reality, it was less Lucius Malfoy and more parental pressure that forced the minister's hand." 

 

"I thought you'd be for Buckbeak's execution." Harry stated. 

 

"Just because he scratched Draco?" Joseph snorted. "Buckbeak acted according to his nature, defending himself from a possible threat."

 

The three just stood there for a while, gazing at the majestic beast before them. 

 

"It's sad, really." Joseph said and Harry looked at him. "There was a time when Draco would've just relish in the thought of seeing a magical creature." 

 

"What do you reckon happened to him?" Harry asked. 

 

"His father, that's what happened." The Slytherin replied with a sigh. "Since our first year, his life has mostly been about impressing his father." 

 

Harry knew Lucius Malfoy was all about keeping up appearances, but he thought that his son would've been more important than all of that to him. The three left Buckbeak and parted ways when Joseph headed for the Owlery and the other two head back to the castle. 

 

"Will you be alright?" Cedric asked. 

 

"I guess." Harry said. "Hagrid's probably having the hardest time. He loves all sorts of creatures." 

 

"Hey, why don't I go tell Professor Flitwick you're sick and we can go have a late lunch near Black Lake?" Cedric asked. 

 

"You? Lie to a teacher?" Harry said disbelievingly. "You'd never break a rule." 

 

"I would if you were involved." Cedric replied as he held Harry's hand. "Besides, do you really think you do any good in class with the mood you're in?" 

 

Harry smiled and held the older teen's hand tighter as he let himself be guided around the school.

 

* * *

"You're avoiding me." Draco said and Joseph looked up from his book. 

 

"Whatever do you mean?" Joseph asked. 

 

"You barely talked to me during breakfast, you kept your distance while walking to our classes, and you left without a word after they ended, and you weren't in the library." Draco explained. 

 

"I apologize if I have a life separate from hanging around with other Slytherins." Joseph replied. "But I kept my distance from you today because of Buckbeak." 

 

"That bloody chicken?!" Draco asked, shocked. "It attacked me! It could've taken my arm off!" 

 

"You provoked him and you know it!" Joseph snapped. 

 

The two stared at each other. Draco was shocked. He had seen Joseph angry before, but the anger was never directed at him. 

 

"Why are we fighting over this anyway?" Draco finally asked. 

 

"I guess just don’t like the person you changed to." The raven replied with a sigh. 

 

"I haven't changed." Draco replied. 

 

"The Draco I knew would've relished at seeing a creature like Buckbeak and would've objected to every idea of having it killed." Joseph began. "He wouldn't have cared if someone was a half-blood or a pure-blood or a Muggle-born. He wouldn't have held a grudge against someone who didn't want to be his friend, even if it was Harry Potter. And he wouldn't have let what his father thought influence his actions." 

 

"You've changed too." The blonde returned. "You've stopped talking and hanging out with me and our friends just because of your baseless jealousy." 

 

"Baseless?" Joseph said, his lips becoming a thin line. "You try standing around while hordes and hordes of other people express their feelings to the one you love while you have to sit in the sidelines and keep your feelings locked away."

 

The two stared angrily at each other for a while, the tension was palpable. After a while, Joseph moved to his desk and grabbed his school bag. 

 

"Where are you going?" Draco asked, still with an angry tone. 

 

"Library." Joseph replied, heading for the door. "

 

Is Nott going to be there?" Draco could feel his anger rising. 

 

"I don't know. And I don't see why it should matter to you if he is." Joseph returned before leaving their room. 

 

Draco paced around angrily. He approached the raven's desk and threw the books on them to the floor. Draco was about to leave the room himself when something caught his eye; it looked like a piece of paper, completely white, but turned to see it was a photograph. It was a photograph of him and Joseph when they were children, dressed in formal robes, giving goofy grins when his mother asked them to. It was a party for the minister and he had invited their families. When things got boring, the two left and headed outside the minister's estate and walked to a close hill. Once on top, they were amazed at seeing a herd of unicorns galloping across the valley beneath them. 

 

_ 'Have I really changed? _ ' Draco asked himself as he sat down. Just then, Crabbe and Goyle entered.

 

"Draco, your dad said their killing the beast later." Goyle said. "Wanna go watch it?"

 

Draco absentmindedly nodded, still holding the picture in his hand.

 

* * *

Cedric walked into the library and went around quickly. Dinner had passed and neither Harry nor his friends were there. 

 

"Have you seen Harry?" Cedric asked Joseph when he spotted him. 

 

"No, why?" The Slytherin asked. 

 

"Harry told me he and his friends went to Hagrid's to see if they could convince him to set Buckbeak free." Cedric said. "He wasn't in the Great Hall for dinner and none of his housemates have seen him. I've tried contacting him but he doesn't answer. Either something's happened to him or something's interfering…" 

 

"Cedric, calm down. Breathe first." Joseph said and Cedric did so. "I'll help you look for him. He said he went to Hagrid's. Let's see if he knew where they went." 

 

The Hufflepuff agreed and they moved quickly through the school and headed for the groundskeeper's home. It was so dark outside; thankfully the moon gave enough light to see the path. 

 

"Can I help you wih sumthin'?" Hagrid asked when Cedric knocked on the door. 

 

"Harry Potter, is he here?" Cedric asked. "He hasn't been seen by anyone in the castle." 

 

"Harry left hours ago. Maybe he's just in the common room." Hagrid replied and the two students left.

 

"Where could he be?" Cedric let out a frustrated breath. 

 

As they were walking back to the castle, something caught Joseph's ear.

 

"I will not let two students be mauled to death by a werewolf in the same night." Someone had said. 

 

"But you're alright if the one who get's mauled is Harry?!" A voice, Joseph identified to be Ron Weasley, shouted back. He got Cedric's attention and they ran towards the Whomping Willow, surprised to see Professor Snape, Hermione and Ron. 

 

"Where's Harry?" Cedric immediately asked and Hermione pointed in a specific direction. 

 

"Mr. Diggory, I forbid you-" Snape was too late, for the prefect ran towards the direction Hermione pointed. 

 

Cedric ran through the trees, desperately searching. He was about to scream in frustration when he saw a white light. He ran towards it, ducking under branches and jumping over rocks. The light eventually faded, but he had found Harry and gasped to see him lying next to Sirius Black. He knelt beside the Gryffindor and placed a hand on his neck, letting out a sigh of relief when he felt a pulse. He shot three red sparks into the air with his wand and in a few minutes, Professor Snape arrived with Joseph and Hermione supporting Ron, who seemed to have injured his foot. 

 

"Mr. Diggory, you, Miss Granger and Mr. Duskgem bring Mr. Weasley and Potter to the Hospital Wing." Snape ordered. "I shall take care of this." 

 

Cedric nodded and carried Harry in his arms. As they walked, Cedric wanted to cry with relief. He'd definitely ask Harry what had happened that he collapsed next to Sirius Black.

 

* * *

"Alright Mr. Diggory, time to go." Madame Pomfrey said as she finished up Ron's cast. 

 

Cedric wanted to protest; he wanted to be there when Harry woke up, but he knew arguing with the mediwitch was as pointless as arguing with a brick wall. He exited the Hospital Wing and was surprised to see Joseph waiting outside. 

 

"How is he?" He asked. 

 

"Madame Pomfrey said he's fine and that there are no serious injuries." Cedric replied. 

 

"An amazing feat, considering he went up against Sirius Black." Joseph stated and Cedric agreed. They were about to walk back to their dormitories when Professor Dumbledore arrived. 

 

"Good evening, headmaster." The two students greeted. 

 

"Good evening. I heard that you two helped in bringing Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley back safely." He said and the students nodded. "Well done, both of you. Twenty points to Hufflepuff and Slytherin. Now off to bed, you've had a tiring night." 

 

And with that, Dumbledore entered the Hospital Wing. Cedric sat on the padded cushions beside the window in his room. He was glad to have the knowledge that Harry was safe in the hospital wing. He couldn't wait to hear what Harry had gotten himself into this time. He looked out the window and shook his head.

 

_ 'I really must be tired.' _ He thought to himself.  _ 'For a second, I thought I saw Buckbeak.' _

 

* * *

The next morning, Cedric visited Harry in the Hospital Wing. After sharing a long and tight hug, Harry began explaining what had happened and after a couple minutes, Cedric stared at the Gryffindor sitting in front of him as if he'd sprouted a second head. 

 

"Are you sure you didn't get hit on the head, Harry?" He asked. 

 

"I'm telling the truth." Harry insisted. 

 

"So let me get this straight." Cedric said. "Sirius Black is your godfather, was wrongly accused of betraying your parents to You-Know-Who and killing their other friend, Peter Pettigrew, who's really an animagus and been hiding as the Weasley's rat. And Pettigrew was really the one who betrayed your parents and he got away when a werewolf, who was really Professor Lupin, also a friend of your dad and Sirius, attacked you guys. You went after them and nearly had your soul sucked out by a hundred dementors, but saved yourself by going back in time." 

 

"Well, when you put it like that it sounds crazy." Harry said with a smile and hugged Cedric. "I know it's a lot to take in." 

 

"I believe you." Cedric said and Harry was surprised. "Based on the stuff you told me happened to you in your first and second year, this seems like a regular thing." 

 

Harry placed a kiss on the older boy's lips and hugged him again. After that, the weeks flew by; Harry was overjoyed when Professor McGonagall returned his Firebolt to him, relishing how Malfoy practically seethed with rage at seeing it and how Cedric went speechless when he held it in his hands. The normal routine of eat, sleep, go to class returned and soon, it was time to leave for the summer. As always Harry shared a compartment with Ron and Hermione. They were speculating on how the next school year would go when Cedric asked Harry to his compartment. 

 

"Hey." Cedric greeted when Harry arrived. 

 

"Hey." Harry returned and sat next to Cedric. "I thought you'd be with your friends." 

 

"I was but then I wanted be with you." Cedric replied with a smile. "Got any plans for the summer?" 

 

Harry sighed for he knew that his summer would be filled with chores. 

 

"Let's write to each other." Cedric suggested. "I know we can talk to each other, but I like the idea of writing letters yourself." 

 

Harry nodded with a smile. Just then, the compartment door opened and Joseph came in. 

 

"The time turner is an amazing thing isn't it?" He asked and Harry was surprised. 

 

"How'd you know about it?" Harry asked. 

 

"Hermione used it to help me." They Slytherin replied. "Earlier this year, I had told…someone that I liked him. He rejected me and what's worse, someone overheard us. I was shunned and ridiculed. Hermione found me and offered to help me. She and I went back in time and stopped myself from confessing." 

 

"So what happened now?" Harry asked. 

 

"He found out by himself." Joseph answered. 

 

"How are things between you two?" Cedric asked. 

 

"Tense." Was the simple reply and Joseph turned to Harry. "So don't bother trying to help, there's nothing to be done for it." 

 

With that, the Slytherin left. He had returned to his compartment, which should've been empty, but now had a blonde sitting in it. 

 

"Can I help you?" He asked Draco. 

 

Draco handed Joseph the picture he had found weeks ago. 

 

"I just want you to know that I wouldn't be able to bear losing you." Draco said. "Having said that, if hanging around me is too painful for you, don't do so anymore just to spare my feelings." 

 

Draco kept his gaze on the ground, waiting for confirmation from the raven. 

 

"Being around you doesn't cause me pain." Joseph said with a sigh and sat beside the blonde. "Draco, no matter how much we want to, we can't go back to the way things were before." He glanced at Draco, who still kept his gaze down. "But I still want to be your friend." 

 

Draco nodded and they sat there for a while. 

 

"I heard you're going to Germany with Nott to take a short course on Potions." Draco said. 

 

"I am." Joseph confirmed. "Would you like to come with us?"

 


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 11: On the Wings of Owls**

_Cedric,_

_How have you been? I’m doing better than I expected. One word to the Dursleys that my godfather was a mass murderer on the loose was enough to have them leave me alone. But I knew there’d be a hiccup soon; Dudley’s been forced into a diet. My aunt and uncle have always made excuses for him, like “he’s a growing boy” and all that rubbish. What made them do so was that the school said that they didn’t make knickers in his size. It took all of my willpower not to laugh. Sadly, it was my aunt’s brilliant idea that everyone in the house should follow the diet too. I’ve sent letters to Hermione, Ron, and Hagrid about it. Hermione said that if they gave me less food than they already have, I’ll be nothing but an empty husk by the time the new term starts, and I agree with her. They’ve sent letters saying that they’ll be sending me stuff to eat and I’m glad to have friends like them. I know it’s only been a week, but I miss you and hope we see each other soon._

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

_Harry,_

_I’m glad to hear that your godfather being wrongly accused has done some good. I’ve been well, my mother is glad to see me safe, while father was glad to see that I was top of the year again. He did take an interest in my life when I mentioned how we had become friends, and then focused on me beating you to the snitch, even though I tried telling him what happened at the match. After that, he returned to his normal self; ignoring everything that didn’t bring the family name any good. Mother started learning how to cook the Muggle way and said it was quite satisfying and therapeutic. She roped me into learning how to bake with her, and found the she was right. Of course when father found out, he thought it to be a waste of time. Speaking of which, Archie’s brought a package with a cylindrical container. Inside are some pretzels mother and I made from scratch and the container will keep them heated. You should bring it when you come visit us; the forests here are perfect for camping. I miss you too, so much that it hurts. Hope you don’t die of starvation before this reaches you._

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

_Cedric_

_You need not worry; I’m alive and well fed. Minutes after I sent my letter to you, my friends’ owls arrived with rations. Hermione sent me some sugarless snacks, Hagrid sent me some rock cakes, and Mrs. Weasley sent a fruit cake and some meat pies. Errol, the Weasleys’ family owl, was so exhausted, he’s still resting here. The pretzels were really delicious, I couldn’t believe you made them by hand. It’s alright how your dad focuses on you beating me, I don’t care. Every parent wants to believe that their children are perfect, Dudley’s obesity is a testament to that. I’d really love to go camping with you, Spring is perfect for it. I wonder if I said that Sirius was a friend of your dad’s and he invited me to go camping with you two. He’d probably be very angry that I wasn’t allowed to go._

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

_Harry,_

_I think hanging around Joseph has made you more of a Slytherin, but I’m fine with it as long as we get to see each other soon. And what are rock cakes? I can’t find any recipe on them. Just you wait, I’m going to make you a treacle pudding so good, it’ll blow your brains out. My dad is a lost cause. Besides, I don’t work on getting high grades for him or his approval anymore. I do it for me. Anyway, I hope your uncle makes the right choice and does not anger your godfather._

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

_Cedric,_

_Pack your stuff, we’re going camping. I can’t wait to get out of this house and see you. Rock cakes are Hagrid’s specialty and you’ll figure out why they’re called that when we go camping. Treacle pudding that will blow my brains out, I can’t wait._

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

 

_Harry,_

_That’s awesome. Let’s go camping this Friday until Sunday. Walk to the park a few blocks from where you live and I’ll meet you there at 8 am. See you soon._


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter contains sexual content. It will be obvious when it starts, so i will not be marking the story. You've been forewarned

**Chapter 12: I Swear It**

  
  


Harry had been counting the minutes until Friday; he would be going camping with Cedric until Sunday. Which meant no having to put up with his relatives or hiding in his room just to eat. Best of all, he had three days alone with his boyfriend. He did have to go into the city to buy some camping supplies. God knows that if Harry had asked the Dursleys, even with the intimidation from Sirius, they would've just given him an old tent and a small canteen. He left Wednesday and got some galleons out of his vault and exchanged them for some muggle currency. He had received a look from his uncle upon returning with several camping supplies, to which Harry said that his godfather sent them, and his uncle just told him to store it in his room. The day came and Harry shot out of bed when his alarm rang at seven in the morning. Harry dashed into the bathroom and got dressed as quickly as he could. He double checked everything before letting Hedwig out of her cage and left the house.

 

As he walked towards the park, with Hedwig flying above him, Harry took out one of sandwiches Mrs. Weasley had sent him and nibbled on it. He entered the park and looked at his watch. 'Still early.' Harry said to himself. Walking around for a while, he looked for a bench to sit on. He set his backpack down beside him and called Hedwig down. 

 

"Should you be out here all by yourself?" A voice said close to his ear and he jumped. Getting over the initial shock, Harry glared at the smirking Slytherin. 

 

"You'd think with someone out for your blood, you'd have a better presence of mind." Joseph stated as he sat and pet Hedgwig. Harry rolled his eyes and sat beside the taller raven. "I'd thought you'd have starved to death by now." 

 

Along with his friends, Cedric, and Sirius, Harry also had been writing letters to Joseph. 

 

"The supplies you sent, along with the ones from everyone else, has kept me from starving." Harry informed with a smile. "What're you doing here?" 

 

"I take walks in muggle London from time to time." Joseph replied. "It clears my head and seeing the ingenuity of muggles is refreshing."

 

"How have you been?" Harry asked 

 

"Well." Joseph replied. "My parents are planning my birthday, another tedious affair." Harry's eyes widened at the fact that he didn't know when the other's birthday was despite having spent half a year with him. "It's on the fifteenth. Having some of my friends over and their parents. In all honesty, it'd be better if I could invite you and Cedric, but that would just raise too many questions." 

 

"Will Malfoy be there?" Harry asked and Joseph nodded. "How have things been between you two?" 

 

"Awkward, at best." Joseph replied. "We've decided to remain friends, but talking about anything but potions has become a chore." 

 

Harry shuffled his feet, wondering what to say. 

 

"I wish I could help." Harry sighed. 

 

"You care so much about others. I admire you for that Harry Potter." The taller teen said as he stood. "But remember that caring too much can also be a flaw." 

 

"How did you get so jaded?" Harry asked jokingly, but he seriously wanted to know. 

 

"I don't think hearing that story would be a good start to a weekend with your boyfriend. Take care of yourself." Joseph said before bidding his friend goodbye

 

Harry watched Joseph walk away and sat on the bench with Hedwig. Cedric eventually arrived and as soon as Harry spotted him, he got up and ran towards the brunette. 

 

"If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were trying to injure me." Cedric said when Harry collided with him in a hug. 

 

"I've just missed you." Harry said as he tightened his arms around Cedric's chest. They stayed like that for a while before moving to the bench with Hedwig. "So, how are we getting to the campsite?" 

 

"There's bus for campers which will leave soon." Cedric stated. "Some other people will be in the same grounds, but we'll be far enough from each other to have some privacy." 

 

Harry nodded and carried pack before they headed for the station. Once there, they spotted several other people with backpacks like them lining up in front of someone who looked like a drill sergeant. 

 

"Name?" The man asked when the two got to the front. 

 

"Cedric Diggory." Cedric said. "You'll be stationed at site twenty-five. A ranger will lead you there when you arrive."

 

Cedric and Harry got on the bus and sat beside each other near the last row. On the ride there, they talked about the upcoming Quidditch World Final. Harry fell asleep half an hour later and woke up to see them entering the forest.

 

The two were led to the site by a ranger; it was a small clearing close to a lake. The rangers' cabin was a few miles from them, but they figured they could handle themselves if they ran into trouble. 

 

"Shall we set up camp?" Cedric asked and brought out their supposed tent. 

 

"You're surprisingly quick, considering you're not using magic." Harry stated as he watched Cedric set up the tent with ease. 

 

"Not all purebloods think the muggle way of doing things is inferior." 

 

Harry smiled and they finished setting up their camp in under a half hour. They decided to take a walk around and Harry smiled. The air was fresher and the only noise that could be heard was the natural sounds of nature. Harry watched as birds flew above them and spotted a rabbit coming out of its burrow. He looked up to the older teen and smiled seeing him relaxed. Lacing his fingers with the Hufflepuff, he and Cedric continued walking in silence, relishing this moment of peace.

 

 

* * *

 

Harry and Cedric's day consisted of hiking, watching the wildlife, and fishing and swimming in the lake. They now sat beside each other in front of the fire, a single blanket wrapped around them. Harry felt Cedric shuffle and saw the teen retracting the stick he was holding from the fire. After blowing it for a while, Cedric took the browned marshmallow from the top of the stick and held it in front of Harry, who smiled and bit half of it off. 

 

"I wish we could be together every day." Harry sighed. 

 

"Me too." Cedric replied as he popped the other half of the marshmallow in his mouth. "But I guess being away from each other means that when we get together, it's more special." He flashed a smile towards Harry, but it faltered when he saw the raven frowning. "What's wrong?" 

 

"Well we're two years apart. When you graduate, I'll still be studying." Harry explained nervously. "What if you meet someone else? Someone you like more than me?" 

 

Cedric studied the raven's features and saw this had been weighing on the younger's mind for a while. 

 

"Harry, I've met a lot of people that I've developed feelings for. But none of them can compare to what I feel for you." Taking Harry's chin, Cedric made the raven face him and planted on soft kiss on the other's lips "I love you, Harry Potter. Last year I said that I'd wait ten lifetimes for you. I'd like to rephrase it; I don't care how long I have to wait for you, just know that I will be here. Nothing and no one will change the way I feel about you, I swear it."

 

Harry stared at Cedric, his heart overflowing with happiness. Moving to straddle the brunette's waist, Harry made Cedric look up at him and pressed their lips together. They pulled away after a few minutes and Cedric looked into Harry's eyes and saw something that wasn't there before. He barely had time to figure it out for the Gryffindor pushed him down and kissed him again. The kiss was unlike any of the other kisses they had; the kisses before were light and sweet. This one, however, was passionate, hungry, and lit a fire inside the two teens. They pulled away for air and stared at each other, their breaths ragged and their pants tight. 

 

"Tent?" Harry asked and Cedric nodded. 

 

The two scrambled to their feet, dowsing the fire and putting everything back into their bags. Cedric zipped up their tent as he entered and casted a silencing charm. Throwing his wand aside, he reconnected his lips with Harry and continued their amorous exchange. Cedric slid his hands into Harry's shirt, eliciting a moan from the raven. Seeing his opening, Cedric slid his tongue into Harry's mouth, searching every inch of Harry's mouth with it. Harry moaned into Cedric's mouth and shivered with pleasure. He tugged at Cedric's shirt, who got the message and pulled away to take off his and Harry's shirts.

 

Cedric started kissing down Harry's neck while his hands moved over the younger's abdomen. He trailed down Harry's chest until stopping above the waist. He looked up at the Gryffindor, who nodded. Cedric slowly slid Harry's pants and boxers down, smirking internally at the raven's impressive size. He grabbed Harry's cock and slowly started pumping it. Harry threw his head back as another moan escaped his lips. Cedric moved up and kissed Harry on the lips, taking both their erections in his hand. Harry tangled his fingers in the Cedric's hair. The brunette returned to his previous position and licked Harry's length, making the younger shiver with pleasure. Wanting to hear more delicious sounds come from Harry's mouth, Cedric took the younger in his entirety, slowly beginning to bob his head. Harry buried his hands again in Cedric's hair and writhed with pleasure as he felt the older's tongue slide around his dick. Harry had dreamt about this before, but it was nowhere near the actual feeling.

 

"C-Cedric." Harry panted. His tight jeans and his need for Cedric was becoming unbearable. "Please…make me yours." 

 

Cedric pulled away, making the raven whimper. 

 

"Harry, are you sure?" He asked and Harry nodded. Cedric fished inside his bag and brought out a bottle of lube. 

 

"It'll be uncomfortable at first, but we need to do it so you won't get hurt." Cedric coated his fingers and slowly inserted one finger into Harry. 

 

The raven tensed up, but relaxed after a while. Cedric eventually added the second and third finger, stretching the younger until his fingers brushed over a certain spot, making Harry arch up and filling his entire body with pleasure. Feeling that Harry was prepared enough, he extracted his fingers and took off his pants and boxers, coating his length in lube. 

 

"If it hurts too much, tell me and we'll stop." Cedric said. Positioning him in front of Harry's entrance, Cedric slowly began pushing into Harry. Cedric stopped halfway, moaning at the heat enveloping him. He looked up to see Harry with his eyes shut and his hands gripping the floor of the tent so tight it might rip. 

 

"Keep moving." Harry panted, as if he knew what Cedric was about to ask. Obeying, the brunette pushed in until he was fully sheathed, make them both moan in unison.

 

"Move." Harry said after a while. 

 

Cedric began sliding in and out slowly, gradually increasing in pace. Harry's legs and arms wrapped around the Hufflepuff, clinging onto him as if his life depended on it. He chanted the older teen's name, getting louder and louder as the pressure built. He knew he wouldn't last long. He forced his eyes open to see Cedric staring down at him. Sweat dripped all over their bodies, their breaths were ragged, and the heat between them was intense. One final thrust connecting with Harry's prostate pushed him over the edge, screaming Cedric's name has he climaxed. Cedric felt Harry tighten around him and came soon after. Cedric slowly slid out of the raven and collapsed next to him. Harry rested his head on Cedric's chest, neither of them saying anything, their heavy breathing being the only sound. Harry looked up and his green eyes met with Cedric's grey ones. They were filled with love and care and Harry smiled. 

 

"I love you, Cedric." Harry said, burying his face into the Hufflepuff's neck. 

 

"I love you too, Harry." Cedric replied, placing a small kiss on Harry's head and pulling a blanket over them.

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 13: A Closer Look**

  
  


Draco and his mother stood at the entrance hall of Duskgem Manor, along with a few other adults and their children in Draco's year, all in their best dress robes. Draco had been here a lot of times before; it was nearly as big as Malfoy Manor. The west wing housed the ballroom, where they'd be heading soon, a music hall with a grand piano, the library, and the lounge. The east wing had the dining room, kitchen, greenhouse, and potions lab. The lab was once Joseph's grandfather's office, Draco had been told. Once his father was making strides in his career as a healer and Magnus had retired from the political arena, after a long argument, it was turned to that. It was put to good use, seeing as how Stephen Duskgem was now a name every single aspiring healer knew. The second floor was merely the rooms and private studies of the occupants. Draco was reminiscing about all of the times he'd walk through these halls when he was pulled from his thoughts by the sound of footsteps on marble. Approaching the group was the entire Duskgem family, Joseph in the middle and his parents at his sides. 

 

"Welcome everyone." The young heir greeted with a smile. "Firstly, I would like to thank you all for taking time out of your busy schedules to celebrate my birthday with me." 

 

Draco nearly snorted. He knew that if Joseph could, he'd spend the entire day locked in his room reading books, but that wasn't the way purebloods did things. As expected, they were led to the ballroom, where a long table had been set up. Dinner lasted about half an hour before dessert, coffee, and drinks. After, the children moved to the lounge while majority of the adults stayed in the ballroom. Joseph sat on the middle of the couch and the others began taking their seats. While Blaise sat on the raven's left, no one took the seat on his right. Since their first year, the two had sat next to each other. It was some sort of unspoken rule that a space would be for the other. Draco simply stood and wondered if he should. Before he could decide, Theo sat on the empty seat and joined in the group's conversation. Draco felt anger rise in him and wanted to tell the brunette off, but restrained himself and sat on the lounge chair next to Blaise. They had talked about their plans for the summer; Pansy's and her boyfriend's families were taking a joint vacation to the Caribbean, Blaise was going to France, and everyone knew about Theo, Draco, and Joseph going to Germany. Pansy eventually got them to move on to presents, which Joseph objected to, but gave in after a couple minutes. 

 

"Mine first." She said and handed a square, pink box. Opening it, he took out a bottle of cologne. 

 

"It's about time you set yourself up with someone." She said, ignoring the glare from the raven. 

 

Blaise rolled his eyes and handed Joseph his present; a new set of wizard chess pieces, styled in the form of Germanic knights. He had a total of five sets now, but the new set will need a few games with him before they completely listen to him. He had opened more presents until Theo's and Draco's were the ones left. Just as he was about to ask for Theo's, a house elf appeared. 

 

"Young master." It said nervously, a large package floating next to it. "This just arrived, addressed to you sir." 

 

Joseph took the package and dismissed the house elf. He picked up and read the card;

 

_ To Joseph Duskgem _

 

_ Happy Birthday _

 

_ From: Your Co-Conspirators _

 

Everyone was confused while the raven merely smirked and opened the package. It was a set of crystal vials and bottles. He summoned another house elf to keep them and Theo handed him his gift. It was obviously another book, but the smirk on the raven's face said it was more special. 

 

"How'd you get your hands on this?" He asked Theo. 

 

"My dad knows a guy." The brunette replied. 

 

It was another book by the MESP, but this was one on individual ingredients and how they reacted to each other and in different conditions. He set the book down on the coffee table and turned to Draco. He nervously handed a rectangular box and watched closely. The box was slightly heavy. Opening, Joseph brought out one of those hour glasses that if the conversation in the room was stimulating, the sand flowed slowly. Joseph turned to Draco with a small smile and thanked him. With all the presents open, everyone eventually began their own conversations or returned to the ballroom for sweets. 

 

"This book really helps a ton." Joseph said to Theo. 

 

"Indeed, I'm less prone to blow up my room now." The brunette chuckled. 

 

"Want to come to the lab and help with some of my experiments?" Joseph asked and Theo nodded. They stood and left, while Draco stared after them. He was furious and it was taking all of his willpower not to destroy the upholstery. 

 

"Draco, what's wrong?" Blaise asked. 

 

"Why do you think anything's wrong?" Draco asked back. 

 

"For starters, you've been glaring at Nott all night." Draco sighed. Nott hadn't done anything to merit his hostile behaviour.

 

"It's nothing." He said before leaving to take a walk.

 

Draco had no place in mind; he just let his feet lead him. He wanted to stop by the lab, but decided against it. Minutes later he stopped in a hallway. A few steps ahead was a room with its door slightly ajar. It was Stephen's study. He had never been inside it; Joseph had always followed his parents' rules, one of which never to enter their rooms without permission. As a child, Draco had wanted to find out what was inside, he still did. Slowly opening the door, the lights turned on. It was a lot like his father's study; a fairly large room with a single desk, several bookshelves, and cabinets. Draco surveyed the bookshelves; majority of them were on potions or medical journals. There was a book that caught Draco's eye; "The Past is the Key to the Future." He thought it was odd for someone like Stephen to have a Divination book, but it must have been interesting. He grabbed it and just as it was about to be taken out, it stopped there was a click, and a partition of the wall behind Draco opened like a door. He let go of the book and it slid back in place. Draco stared at the doorway, a faint light coming from within. His brain told him to just leave; he had already overstepped his boundaries by coming in here. Being the stubborn person he was, he mustered up all his courage and entered the room.

 

There were three large, stone basins in the middle of the room, two of which had misty liquid producing a faint glow. Pensieves? Draco identified. His grandfather had one in his study and once he'd taken ill, it was moved to his room. Close to each pensieve was a rack of crystal vials with similar glowing, misty liquid. The one furthest from him had the least vials. He approached it and took one out. The label read;

 

_ Joseph _

 

_ Age 11 _

 

_ August _

 

_ Malfoy Manor _

 

He walked to the pensieve closest to him, which was clear of any memories. Hesitantly, Draco uncapped the vial and poured the misty liquid into the stone basin, and plunged his head into it. He opened his eyes to find himself in his room, exactly as he left it earlier this evening. Before he thought he somehow transported back to his home, he spotted himself and Joseph, sitting on the sofa in the corner. They were both on opposite ends, each having a book in their hands. Draco remembered this; Draco had asked his friend over so they could discuss what kind of things they'll learn in the new school year. When he'd arrived, Joseph seemed different to Draco; he was more quiet than normal, he never started any of their conversations throughout the day, and he seemed closed off. He was like that with other people, but never with Draco. He had asked if anything was wrong, but Joseph said he was fine and just stressed about the new school year, and Draco believed him at the time. Now, he wondered if anything had happened to his friend. Realizing something, he left the memory and began searching the rack. He grabbed bottles dated June to August of that year and began going through them one by one. Most showed memories of Joseph's vacation that year. The rest looked like fairly normal days, but none seemed to give any information on what had happened to his friend.

 

"Looking for something?" A voice asked and Draco turned to see Stephen Duskgem standing there. 

 

Draco stammered and bowed his head in embarrassment. Draco shut his eyes as he heard footsteps get louder and louder, awaiting the eventual punishment. Much to his surprise, he felt a soft hand on his shoulder and looked up to his friend's father smiling at him. 

 

"I'm not angry, your curiosity is one of the things I like about you." Stephen said and moved toward the used pensieve. "You're trying to find out what, if anything, happened to Joseph?" 

 

Draco nodded, still feeling nervous. Stephen looked at the young blonde for a while, as if analyzing him, and nodded. The healer began taking out the memories and placing them back in their respective vials. 

 

"You don't need to remove the memories from pensieves." Draco stated. 

 

"You don't, but when there are too much and someone inexperienced uses them, like a student, the memories can interfere with each other." Stephen explained and Draco bowed his head. "But, I do this so there's no chance of interference and analyze memories more closely." 

 

Draco nodded in understanding. Stephen Duskgem was a great healer and created many new potions, but he excelled most in memories. He was always first to be called if a memory charm wasn't properly casted. There were talks that he and a team was developing something that could alter memories in a non-harmful way.

 

Stephen walked back from the rack with a single vial in his hand and gave it to Draco. The mist is this vial seemed thicker and darker. Another difference it had from the rest was that the label had no details written on it, just a huge red X. 

 

"It took us a long time before Joseph agreed to give us these memories." Stephen explained. "Now he barely tells us anything. It is my greatest hope that you'll be able to help him."

 

Draco nodded and poured the memories into the stone basin. The thick, misty liquid enveloped nearly every single space. Draco looked down at it nervously. He wanted to help his friend, but wondered if these memories would provide answers or just raise more questions. Taking a few deep breaths, he steadied himself and plunged into the misty basin.

 


	16. Chapter 16

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of this chapter will focus on the OC/Draco pairing in the second part. In the second part, it will address the cliffhanger of the last chapter. Parts of the story in normal typing format will be narrated from how Draco is seeing the memory. Italicised text will be the memory being narrated as it's happening.

**Chapter 14: Past and Future**

  
  


Harry sat in Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, waiting for Hermione while taking occasional licks of his chocolate treat. His camping trip with Cedric ended a week ago and he was meeting Hermione today just to talk with someone in person. 

 

"Harry, it's good to see you." Hermione greeted while she hugged Harry. 

 

"Good to see you too, 'Mione." Harry returned. "How has your summer been?" 

 

"Interesting, actually." Hermione replied. "My parents have actually been studying about the Wizarding World."

 

She talked about all of the questions and long hours she spent with her parents. 

 

"They've a better understanding of the magical community now, which is good." She stated before smiling at her friend. "Enough about me. How was your camping trip?" 

 

"It was great." Harry replied immediately, raising his ice cream to hide his blush. "We talked, hiked, swam and fished in the lake." 

 

"I have a feeling that you're not telling me everything, but for the sake of my sanity, I won't ask."

 

They began talking about how they were doing with their assignments. As always, Harry was far behind and Hermione was already finished. Surprisingly, he was doing much better in potions. He was still rubbish in it, but he understands a lot more things now. He supposes that he had Hermione to thank for that, ultimately. Harry and Hermione spent most of their day walking around Diagon Alley and talking. When he returned to his bedroom, there were two letters waiting for him. The first one was from Joseph, thanking him for his gift, saying that it was thoughtful and greatly appreciated. He wrote a quick reply and moved on to the next letter. It was from Cedric and he was asking if he would meet him at the park tomorrow. He wondered why, but accepted and sent Hedwig to deliver the letters. He did some of his assignments while waiting for Hedwig and went to bed.

 

The next day, Harry avoided his relatives before going off to see Cedric some time after noon. He arrived at the park and saw Cedric sitting on a bench. 

 

"Hey, how are you?" Cedric greeted the younger with a kiss on the cheek.

 

"Fine." Harry replied with a smile and hug. "So, what's this about?" 

 

"Can't I ask my boyfriend out on a date every now and then?" Harry swatted Cedric's arm playfully and gave him a short kiss on the lips. Cedric took Harry's hand and led him towards the lake. As they climbed a hill, Harry saw the picnic mat and the basket on the ground and smiled. 

 

"Someone else is joining us, actually." Cedric said nervously and Harry looked and saw a woman approaching. 

 

"It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Mr. Potter." She said sweetly. 

 

"Harry, this is my mum, Andrea Diggory." Cedric introduced and Harry shook her hand. 

 

Cedric's mother was a picture of beauty with her long black hair, slightly tanned skin, and gorgeous smile. It was meeting this woman that Harry also found out that like him, Cedric had also inherited his mother's eyes. Over lunch, Harry realized that Cedric had inherited more than her eyes. Like her son, Andrea was kind, caring, and adventurous. She understood the rules, written and unwritten, of pureblood families, but didn't follow them all to the letter, even broke several of them herself. They'd just finished eating some delicious roast beef sandwiches when Cedric brought out three small tins and Harry immediately recognized his favourite dessert. 

 

"Now Harry, have the first bite and tell me what you think." Andrea said and Harry did so. 

 

Taking a small piece and putting it in his mouth, Harry relished the perfect blend of sweet and sour, along with the silky cream. He looked at the two Diggorys, Andrea smiling behind her cup of tea and Cedric, picking at his own tart with a huge blush. 

 

"Don't play with your food, dear." Andrea said. "And stop being so nervous, Harry loved it." 

 

Harry looked at his boyfriend and smiled, receiving a smile from the brunette.

 

"Since when has your mother known?" Harry asked. 

 

"I figured out he was seeing someone when he came home from camping." Andrea explained. "He would've not been that happy if he was out with just friends."

 

"Anyway, I told her and said she wanted to meet you." Cedric added. "I take it you found out everything you wanted know?" 

 

Andrea nodded and Harry smiled. 

 

"What about your dad?" He asked cautiously. 

 

"He's…a different case." Cedric replied. 

 

"Amos is extremely proud of his son." Andrea said with an unaffectionate tone. "Of course he will want Cedric to marry a beautiful and intelligent girl and continue the line of great Diggory men." Harry looked down and shifted nervously. Cedric gave Harry a one arm hug and pulled him closer. "But I don't care for any of that. Ced's happiness is more important to me than his success. We will tell Amos in time, and if he doesn't understand or accept it, it's his loss."

 

Cedric's mother stayed for a few more minutes before returning home and leaving the two teens. 

 

"Your mum is a lovely woman." Harry said. "Glad to see you take after her, mostly." 

 

Cedric nodded and pulled Harry to sit on his lap. 

 

"Are you worried about my dad?" He asked. 

 

"Only if you think his opinion matters." Harry replied, placing his hands on Cedric's shoulders. "I know he's your dad, but he can't make decisions like who you're going to date for you. He'll try, but it's always up to you in the end." 

 

Cedric smiled, hugged Harry and buried his face in the raven's hair. 

 

"Like my mum said; he can either accept it or get out of my life." Cedric replied. 

 

The two sat like that for a while, quiet and looking over the park from the top of the hill.

 

"Your mum said something about continuing the line of Diggorys." Harry said nervously. "Have you actually…thought about having children?" 

 

"With you?" Cedric asked. 

 

"Just in general." Harry replied. "I mean, I've already thought about having a daughter and naming her after my mum."

 

Cedric looked down at Harry, who was nervously picking it the hem of his shirt.

 

"When you thought about that, was the other person with you me?" He asked. 

 

"Honestly, they were like this faceless person, I couldn't even narrow down who could it possibly be." Harry stated. 

 

The silence that followed was unsettling. They've only talked about future things vaguely and never in such detail.

 

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought it up." Harry apologized, but Cedric took his hand. 

 

"No, it was good you brought it up." He said. "Eventually, we will have to talk about it. I just…you caught me off guard. I do want to talk about it, eventually. Do you?" 

 

He looked down and Harry nodded at him. He gave Harry a kiss before standing and walking him home. 

 

"Will you ask me out to more dates soon?" Harry asked with a smile. 

 

"Getting rather clingy, aren't we?" Cedric replied with his own smile. "But yes, I do have more plans to take you out." 

 

They stopped at the end of Privet Drive and looked at each other. 

 

"I'll see you soon Harry." Cedric said kissing his boyfriend's cheek. They said goodbyes and Harry watch the brunette jog away; walking back to his relatives’ house only after the brunette was out of sight.

 

* * *

Draco sat on the bed and sighed. He had just arrived at the house he was staying at with everyone else for the advanced potions course and he shared his room with Joseph. This was actually his fault; the instructor asked everyone to pair up for their room assignments. As soon as he saw Theo walking towards the raven, he walked over and grabbed his friend's wrist and practically dragged him to get their key. The door to the bathroom opened and Joseph walked out in full muggle attire. They were allowed to go around the city and see the sites as long as they kept their cover and were back by nine. Draco sneered at the clothes when he first saw them, but he admitted to himself that they were quite comfortable and looked good. 

 

"We're going out for dinner soon." Joseph stated and Draco nodded. 

 

The raven sat on his bed and opened a book while Draco looked out the window, remembering what he was shown.

 

**_~*~*~One Week Earlier~*~*~_ **

 

Draco plunged his head into the stone basin and when he opened his eyes, he found himself in the back of a car, he believed the muggles called it, next to his friend, six years younger. He wanted to talk to his friend, but quickly realized he was just a spectator at this point and kept quiet.

 

_ He was in one of those muggle inventions, an automobile, with his parents up front arguing as they had been since yesterday.  _

 

_ "I can't believe you're going through with this." His mother said.  _

 

_ "Relax, what could go wrong?" His father asked.  _

 

_ "Everything!" Alyssa yelled. "We could've hired a tutor, bought books, even taught him ourselves."  _

 

_ "It's good for Joseph to learn about the muggle world." Stephen replied calmly.  _

 

_ "By leaving him alone there and at a young age? What if he loses control of his magic?" Alyssa argued.  _

 

_ "You know as well as I do that our son has a greater control of his magic than normal wizards his age. And he won't be alone, you've hired aurors to get jobs there and keep watch of him." _

 

_ They stopped in front of a fairly large building. It was like the few buildings they passed on their way here; one storey and had children running around outside. This one, however, looked sleeker and there weren't just children outside, there were even teenagers and they weren't running around, they were holding instruments. The family stepped outside and scanned the environment, before seeing a tall woman approach them.  _

 

_ "Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Duskgem, I'm Ms. Plimpton, headmistress of the York Musical Academy." She greeted and turned to Joseph. "You must be Joseph. I understand that you'd like to learn how to play the piano."  _

 

_ "Yes ma'am." Joseph replied and they all followed the headmistress into the building.  _

 

_ "Here, your son will be able to learn how to play in any way he likes." Ms. Plimpton said. "If he wishes, he could join a class, be taught one on one, even have an older student as a teacher." _

 

_ Stephen and Alyssa nodded as they listened, following Ms. Plimpton through the halls/ _

 

_ "Here we are." The headmistress said, stopping in front of two large double-doors. "Here, Joseph will enter, meet the teachers and other students, and decide how he would like to learn."  _

 

_ His parents nodded and took him to one side first.  _

 

_ "Remember the two men we saw coming in?" His mother asked and he nodded. "If you are ever in trouble, run to them."  _

 

_ "I know this is new and scary, but it will be good and fun." His father assured him and he nodded.  _

 

_ They both gave him a hug and left. Joseph followed Ms. Plimpton through the doors and the entire hall was filled with students, young and old, and teachers. They all looked like they were having casual conversations but getting closer, he overheard the teachers talk about lesson plans and tutors discussing some of the advantages of having one on one sessions. Joseph was nervous about this whole ordeal. Just as he was about to go sign up for a regular class, someone placed a hand on his shoulder.  _

 

_ "Hey, are you alright?" The stranger asked with a small smile.  _

 

_ "Richard, I see you've met one of our new students." Ms. Plimpton greeted.  _

 

_ The boy she called Richard was taller than him by a few inches, so he was probably the same age or up to two years older. His skin was slightly tanned, along with the Oxford United logo on his shirt, indicated that he was outgoing and loved football. He had wavy chocolate-brown hair and deep blue eyes. "Joseph, this is Richard Mullen. He's a year older than you and he joined us last year to learn how to play the piano as well, and he did so quickly."  _

 

_ "To be fair, I had been playing long before." Richard stated. "I'm learning how to play the violin now."  _

 

_ "Richard, why don't you be Joseph's tutor?" The headmistress suggested. The older boy looked at Joseph, as if scanning him.  _

 

_ "What do you say?" He eventually asked and stuck his hand out. Joseph looked at the hand and then to Richard's face before shaking it. _

 

The memories shifted and Draco saw that they were in a fairly large room, Joseph sitting and playing on the piano in the middle and Richard, sitting close by listening. It was obvious that they had moved forward since the two looked older. By the way his friend looked; Draco deduced he was two years older from the previous memory. 

 

_ Joseph stopped abruptly, making Richard look at him in confusion.  _

 

_ "What's wrong?" He asked.  _

 

_ "I missed a note." Joseph replied.  _

 

_ "That's it?" Richard asked, receiving a glare from the younger boy. "I mean, I get it. You love things like chemistry, which is exact and has specific formulas."  _

 

_ Joseph tried hard not to roll his eyes. Richard had found empty vials on the table near the piano and assumed they were for chemistry, which, after researching, Joseph figured to be the muggle equivalent of potion making. He was playing Beethoven's Für Elise and while his friend thought he was doing splendidly, he had another opinion. _

 

_ "Your problem is you're treating this like chemistry, that ff you make one mistake, it will blow in your face." Richard stated. "This isn't a science, it's an art. You have to pour your emotion into it. You should play a song because you love it."  _

 

_ Joseph stared at the older boy as if he'd grown a second head. This was the first person he'd ever met who said that perfect wasn't enough, not even needed to be good. Richard sat back down and Joseph looked down at the keys for a while before positioning himself. He began playing, but not Für Elise. He was now playing Pachelbel's Canon in D major. Richard shut his eyes and let himself focus on the sound of the piano. He smiled as he listened because he heard it. Joseph heard it too; he was no longer focused on getting every note, but he was enjoying playing. The song eventually ended and he felt that it was too soon. He opened his eyes and saw the brunette smiling at him.  _

 

_ "Not a single mistake." He said. Joseph thanked him with a smile before playing another song. _

 

The memory shifted again and Draco found himself in a room, where the lights were bright, the table was littered with flowers and good luck cards, and Joseph sitting on a couch, perfectly still. He was dressed in complete formal attire and it looked like someone had used an absurd amount of hair gel on him. Draco knew that he would never use gel, but he was more worried as to why his friend hadn't moved an inch. He was about to think something was wrong with the memory until the door opened. 

 

_ "Hey, how are you doing?" Richard asked as he sat next to Joseph, who merely nodded. "Hey, it's going to be fine. I went through the exact same thing. C'mon."  _

 

_ He took the younger's hand and led him to a door.  _

 

_ "What're you doing?" Joseph asked.  _

 

_ "I'm going to wash the gel off your head." He said. "It looks like your head can fully fuel three tanks."  _

 

_ Joseph rolled his eyes while Richard smiled. The brunette left and brought back one of the tall stools and Joseph sat on it. Richard moved behind him and started taking off Joseph's coat.  _

 

_ "Hey, what..?" Joseph began, but Richard cut him off.  _

 

_ "Don't want to get your clothes wet." He stated  _

 

_ "I'm sure it'll dry by the time I need to go." Joseph replied, but the brunette had already begun on the buttons on his shirt and vest. _

 

_ As Richard washed his hair, Joseph was bent over the sink with a huge blush on his face. He didn't know what to do at this point, but the older boy's fingers running through his hair felt quite nice. Once finished, Joseph got dressed and Richard blow dried his hair with one of those infernal contraptions and combed it.  _

 

_ "There's the sourpuss I know and love." Richard said jokingly.  _

 

_ "Thank you for washing my hair." Joseph muttered with his arms crossed.  _

 

_ "You're going to be great. Trust me." Richard assured as he bent down to be at level with Joseph. "Just think about a good memory, focus on that and not the crowd. Relax and enjoy yourself."  _

 

_ The light on the wall blinked, signalling that Joseph had to go. He thanked his friend again and Richard wished him good luck one more time before leaving the room _ .

 

Draco watched the memory play and followed Joseph until they were standing in a narrow walkway, a large red curtain to their right, and grand piano with several lights trained on it. Someone called Joseph's name and he walked out onto the stage in a grand theatre, all the seats were filled and something finally clicked. He was ten and he, and his mother were invited by Joseph's parents to some sort of show. He remembered liking the performance by his friend and complimented on how good he was when they visited hours later. Around the piano were a few other people with other instruments, but the star in this performance was going to be the pianist. Joseph faced the crowd and bowed before sitting. He shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and began playing. He was playing Canon again, but there was a significant difference in the way that he played it. The great improvement in his skill was amazing.

 

T _ he performance was beautiful; the piano beautifully harmonized with all the other instruments, but everyone knew that it was the star. In the end, everyone burst into applause and Joseph stood and bowed, gestured to the other musicians and exited the stage. As soon as he entered his room, he was pulled and twirled.  _

 

_ "You were amazing." Richard exclaimed with a smile.  _

 

_ That's great, Rich." Joseph thanked. "But I already had enough trouble trying to keep my dinner down during the performance. Let's not let the effort be in vain."  _

 

_ The brunette stopped, but pulled Joseph into a tight hug.  _

 

_ "I'm really happy and proud of you." Richard said. _

 

_ Joseph hugged back, his heart beating faster than normal. At the time, he dismissed it as the exhilaration of performing in front of a huge audience or because Richard had just spun him around like some infant. But it wasn't that, it was so much more. _

 

The next memories were shorter, but they showed Joseph do familiar things; he began staying by himself while at the Academy, he kept his conversations with Richard short and his answers vague, at best, and he'd begun leaving without telling Richard where he was going. Draco was all too familiar with this behaviour; his friend had fallen in love with the muggle. 

 

The memory that currently played was of Joseph, alone in one of the rooms the students rehearsed in, going over some music sheets. He looked to be around ten years-old or about a year older, but he seemed troubled. 

 

He was deciding which song to perform in the next recital when the door flew open. 

 

"What the hell is going on?" Richard asked angrily. 

 

Joseph stood there, his back to the older teen. It seemed like he had frozen, but he turned his head slightly. 

 

"What do you mean?" He asked calmly. 

 

"Don't play stupid." Richard returned. "You've been avoiding me. Why?" 

 

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about." Joseph replied and returned to browsing the music sheets. "I've just gotten really busy, I do have a life other than this. You must be imagining things."

 

Silence followed and just Joseph thought Richard had left, he felt a hand grip his shoulder and turn him. 

 

"What the hell?!" He yelled at the brunette. 

 

"Tell me what's your problem." Richard growled. 

 

"Are you sure I'm the one with the problem?!" Joseph replied as he broke free of Richard's grip. "You're the one getting mad because your friend won't tell you everything that's going on with them. Had it not occurred to you that I may have other things to do?" 

 

He started heading for the door, but Richard caught his wrist and pushed him up against the wall. 

 

"Friends are supposed to be able to confide in each other." Richard said, his breath coming in heavy pants, the rage in his eyes softening. "I care about you and I know something's wrong. Please tell me so I can help you." 

 

"You can't help me." Joseph replied, not meeting Richard's eyes. 

 

"How do you know that?" Richard asked. "You'll hate me." The raven stated. 

 

"We've known each other for over five years." Richard retorted. "I've seen you at your best and worse. I will never hate you."

 

The brunette made Joseph look at him and the raven's amber eyes met Richard's pleading blue ones. And that was it; Joseph placed his hands on Richard's shoulder and kissed him. He pulled back after a few seconds and seeing Richard's wide, shocked eyes told him what he knew was coming. But that wasn't the worst of it; he began hearing whispers and turned to see other students. He pushed Richard away and rushed out the room. As he headed for the exit, the whispers became louder, then followed the laughter, insults, even some things being thrown at him. This was the only time he had lost control of his magical aura, he was glad it did at the time. It made the things thrown at him miss, it the muffled the sound of the other students and pushed away the ones that were in his way. He could faintly hear Richard calling him, but he told himself to not stop. One of the people his parents hired met him and told him to follow him to an apparition point. It was in a slightly wooded area near the local park Halfway there, Richard had finally caught up. Surprisingly, he wasn't pushed back by the magical aura and he grabbed Joseph's wrist. 

 

"Stop! Let's talk about this." He said. 

 

"There's nothing to talk about." Joseph said, not turning back to face him. 

 

"I don't care about those things." Richard stated. 

 

"You don't get it!" Joseph yelled and turned to face his friend. "I don't care about those people who laugh at me and call me names. The only person I care about is you! You want to be my friend, but I want something more!" Joseph had lost control and his tears began to fall. "You can call it selfish, but think about what you're asking me to do. You want me to remain your friend, knowing how I really feel about you. Eventually you're going to be in a relationship with someone else and when that happens, it will hurt more than any insult or thing anyone throws at me." Richard just stared with a slightly open mouth, his hand falling limp to his side. "Goodbye Rich." 

 

And with that, Joseph ran towards the forest and apparated with the aurors to the manor.

 

**_~*~*~Present~*~*~_ **

 

After that, Stephen had told Draco that his son told them everything. They wanted him to continue studying music, but Joseph wouldn't return. His mother said that it would've been a waste of all those years so their son gave them a two choices; obliviate everyone in the school or he won't return. They had chosen the latter and Joseph locked himself in his room for the next few days. Since then, he never entered the music hall. His parents kept it that way, hoping he would start playing again, but to no avail. 

 

"Draco." He heard someone call and looked at Joseph. "Are you alright? You've been spacing out lately." 

 

"I'm fine." He replied. "Just a lot on my mind." 

 

Joseph stared at the blonde before sighing and saying that they were about to leave for dinner. Draco didn't know what to do at the time, but he was determined to help his friend and if he was lucky, get him to start playing again.

  
  



	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter 15: Advice**

  
  


Draco felt terrible; his head ached, nose was stuffy, and was slightly feverish. It had started to rain during dinner the night before. As luck would have it, he, Joseph or Theo didn't think to bring an umbrella and none of them could use magic. So they ran three blocks in the rain or they would've broken curfew. Thanks to his stubbornness, he refused to stay in bed when Joseph told him to do so this morning. He had gone through seven hours of intense potions lessons and had one hour to go, but he doubted he'd last that long. He couldn't even clearly read the instructions on the book right in front of him. He was about to drop a bezoar when someone grabbed his wrist. He turned to see Joseph looking at him with indifference. 

 

"I told you to stay in bed." He muttered as he took the ingredient from Draco. "But that damn pride of yours always gets in the way, putting all of us at risk." 

 

Draco muttered a quick sorry before feeling something placed into his hand. He looked down at the small vial filled with a light green liquid. 

 

"It won't cure you, but it will keep you standing until the end of the lesson." Joseph said and the blonde thanked him before downing the liquid.

 

Draco quickly felt slightly better and he was able to complete his potion without anymore close calls. As soon as he was out of the lab, Joseph grabbed his wrist and dragged him to their room. 

 

"Take a bath." He said sternly. "I'll get you some medicine and something to eat." 

 

Draco wanted to protest but after nearly blowing up his cauldron, he knew his friend wasn't going to relent. He obeyed and went into the bathroom, setting the water temperature to hot and turning on the shower. After a long and relaxing shower, Draco got dressed and exited the bathroom to see his friend just return with a tray of soup, bread, and a bottle of medicine. The blonde climbed into his bed and Joseph set the tray down in front of him. Draco began eating while Joseph went into the bathroom. Taking a bite of the warm, freshly baked bread, Draco smiled, his friend taking care of him making him feel warm inside.

 

Draco sleepily opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep some time after eating and heard voices…arguing? 

 

"Come on, there's this great place by the lake." Theo said, most likely talking to Joseph and making Draco fist his sheets in annoyance. 

 

"I'm sorry, Theo but I'm going to stay here and keep an eye on Draco." Joseph replied, Draco's grip on his sheets loosening. "If you want someone to go with you, how about that French guy that's been eyeing you up and down since we got here?" 

 

The blonde kept himself from chuckling, even more so when he heard the door shut. After a while, Draco slowly lowered the covers beneath his eyes, looking to the other side of the room. Joseph sat on his bed reading a book. He didn't understand why, but Joseph telling Theo that he'd rather stay and watch over him made him feel better than the medicine.

 

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door and Joseph stood to answer it. 

 

"Mr. Duskgem, a Mr. Cedric Diggory is contacting via Firecall." One of the staff said. "Shall I reroute it to your room?" 

 

"No, I'll take it in the lounge." Joseph said as he thanked the person. He glanced once more to Draco's bed before leaving and heading for the lounge. 

 

"This is unexpected." He said as he sat on a chair in front of a fireplace. 

 

"How are things there?" Cedric asked with a smile.

 

"Everything is going well." Joseph replied. "How are things between you and Harry?" 

 

"Everything is fantastic, but I wanted to ask you something." The older teen looked shy, embarrassed even. "Have you ever thought about having kids?"

 

Joseph stared at the face in the fire for a few minutes. 

 

"Did you get Harry pregnant already?" He asked. 

 

"No, I didn't mean that." Cedric replied immediately. 

 

"Anyone would've asked that question." Joseph stated. "It is a possibility in our world, you know." 

 

"I do, but I mean have you thought about kids of your own." Cedric explained. 

 

"A few times, but vaguely." Joseph replied. 

 

"Well, I introduced Harry to my mum the other week. They liked each other, but she talked about how my dad wanted me to marry a girl and produce more great Diggory men." The brunette began explaining. "After she left, Harry brought it up again and said that he'd thought about having a daughter and naming her after his mum." 

 

"What seems to be the problem, then?" Joseph asked. 

 

"I asked him who was with him and his daughter." Cedric said. "He said he couldn't make it out who they were and the fact that it wasn't me or that he couldn't narrow it down worries me."

 

The two were silent for a while, Joseph letting Cedric calm down first. 

 

"Relax, Cedric. It's possible that Harry thought about that when he was still single." He said. "But I think it's natural for him not to be able to know who can be the other parent of their child." 

 

"You really think so?" Cedric asked. 

 

"I'm positive." Joseph assured him. "Look, both of you are still young, and Harry said he was afraid of you finding someone else. I think that for now, you should try, in small ways, to let Harry know that you're not going anywhere." 

 

"Any advice on how to do that?" The Hufflepuff asked with a smile. 

 

"Nope, but I'm sure you'll figure something out." Joseph replied before bidding the older male goodbye.

 

* * *

Harry sat at a table in the Leaky Cauldron, his backpack next to him. Friday came and Cedric had owled him a few days earlier asking him to spend the weekend at his house, since his parents would be out of town until Monday the next week. Harry didn't need to bring up Sirius's name any more when asking to leave the house, seeing as the Dursleys preferred Harry being out of the house. Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Harry turned to see the brunette smiling down at him. "Ready to go?" He asked and Harry nodded. They both stepped into the fireplace, Cedric yelled out the address and seconds later, they stepped out into a beautiful lounge. Taking Harry's hand, Cedric led the younger teen around, showing him the kitchen, dining room, and then leading him up to his room.

 

It was large; the bed sat at the centre opposite to them, a desk with all of Cedric's books and papers neatly organized was a few feet away from it, a shelf filled with an assortment of books and memorabilia was tucked away in a corner, two closets were next to each other, one housing things like Cedric's broom and the other his clothes, and a final door leading to probably the cleanest bathroom Harry had ever seen. 

 

"Do you like it?" Cedric asked as he placed Harry's bag on his bed. 

 

"It's amazing." Harry said with a smile. 

 

"I'm glad, didn't want to make you stay somewhere you hated." Cedric chuckled and sat down. 

 

"I don't care where I am as long as you're there with me." Harry replied sitting next to the brunette. Cupping Harry's face, Cedric bent down and kissed him on the lips. 

 

"So, lunch?" Cedric asked when they parted.

 

Harry and Cedric had lunch in the kitchen, where the two of them worked together to prepare the meal. They went outside to fly around, starting out leisurely moving around before getting competitive and racing each other. Dinner was lovely and spent talking about the upcoming Quidditch World Cup. After bathing, they both did some of their schoolwork and now, the couple was lying in bed together, Cedric with his arms around Harry. 

 

"I could get used to this." Harry sighed contently.

 

"I don't see why not." Cedric replied with a smile. 

 

"Well, for one, we might not always be in your parents' house." Harry replied. 

 

"I thought it didn't matter where we were as long as we were together?" Cedric returned, placing a short kiss on Harry's forehead. "And I agree with that. Maybe we'll be living in a huge house or a small apartment in Muggle London and it won't matter to me."

 

"You've really thought about us getting a place together?" Harry asked and the Hufflepuff nodded. "Since when?" 

 

"To be honest, just now." Cedric replied, receiving a disbelieving look from Harry. "I'm serious. I thought about today and how much I enjoyed it, and thought I'd like everyday to be like this. But I also thought that if it wasn't you I was with, then I wouldn't be as happy." 

 

Harry smiled and kissed Cedric, hugging him tightly. The two talked more for a while before falling asleep.

 

**_~*~*~A Few Days Earlier~*~*~_ **

 

_ Joseph, _

 

_ How are you doing? I hope things are going well for you. I'm writing to you because I did something stupid. We had a picnic at the park a few weeks back and he introduced me to his mum. She's a lovely woman, kind and caring, but she also brought up stuff about Ced's dad. She said that he wanted Cedric to continue the tradition of bringing up another great Diggory. Once his mum left, I brought it up again and told him about how I imagined my daughter. Honestly, I think I did that a long time ago, but he asked if he was the person I was with and I said I didn't know who it was. It got quiet after and he said it was alright, but I feel like I've messed up in some way. _

 

* * *

_ Harry, _

 

_ I'm well and things are going smoothly, thank you for asking. I don't need to ask to know that you're freaking out, but I don't think you have any reason to. Perhaps Cedric was in shock that you just brought it up out of the blue, I would've been. Come on Harry, you're both still young with your lives ahead of you. Sure it's normal to think about stuff like that, but it's kind of surprising talking about it in such detail and so early into the relationship. You two haven't been together for a year, yet. Look relax and for now, stray away from the topics related to something in the future unless Cedric seems okay with talking about it. Don't go into too much detail. Even if you do, I don't think Cedric will freak out and leave you. He seems like the kind of guy who doesn't get into relationships unless he's serious about them. _

 


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 16: A Bright Tomorrow**

Draco put the last of his vials in his trunk and shut it. They’d just concluded their final day in the advanced potions course and they had three free days to explore the city before they returned home. Since he got sick, Joseph has been keeping a closer eye on Draco, making sure that he ate properly, got enough sleep, and didn’t overwork himself. Draco loved it because the raven stuck to him like glue and Nott was getting nowhere with his attempts to go on a date with Joseph. But the blonde would’ve been lying if he said that that was the only reason he loved it. He enjoyed how his friend doted on him and all of the extra attention made him feel happy.

 

“So, what’s the plan?” Theo asked as he walked into the room behind Joseph.

 

“I was just thinking of walking around the city.” Joseph replied, storing two of his notebooks into his trunk. “Have anything in mind you wanted to do, Draco?”

 

“I’m not really familiar with the area, so walking around sounds like a good idea.” Draco replied.

 

“I have something in mind that I want to do.” Theo said.

 

“Everyone knows what you want to do.” Draco muttered, making Joseph smirk.

 

The three Slytherins began walking around the city of Berlin, and it was a beautiful day. What would’ve made things better was if Nott wasn’t present. The three of them walked and ate at a small restaurant during lunch. They then walked around again and stopped at a book shop that caught Joseph’s eye.

 

“So, what are you looking for?” Draco asked as he browsed the shelves.

 

“Obviously, I’m looking for something to read.” Joseph replied with a smirk. “Anything interesting would be fine.”

 

Browsing for a few more minutes, each of them had a book picked out and paid for them. They began walking down the sidewalk and discussing whether to keep exploring or return to the dormitory when they stopped in front of a person, who just stood there, staring at them. Upon closer inspection, the new person’s gaze was on the tallest Slytherin. Theo obviously had no idea who this is or why they stopped, but Joseph’s expression said that he knew who this was and Draco knew too; taller than the raven by a few inches, slightly muscular build, chocolate-brown hair, blue eyes, a slightly tanned complexion, and an Oxford United pin attached to his shirt.

 

“Richard.” Joseph greeted with a nod.

 

“Hey.” The taller brunette replied with a small nod of his own.

 

“Draco, Theo, this is Richard.” Joseph introduced. “He’s…an old friend.”

 

Theo and Draco shook Richard’s hand and introduced themselves. Draco kept his focus on his friend. It was clear to him that he was uncomfortable.

 

“What’re you doing here?” Richard asked.

 

“Taking an advanced course in chemistry.” Joseph replied, making Theo glance at Draco with a confused expression.

 

“You’re really dedicated. You plan on becoming a doctor or pharmacist?” Richard asked with a small smile.

 

“Something like that.” Joseph replied evenly and the smile the blue-eyed teen’s face faded.

 

“Listen, can we talk in private?” He asked. “I know a small café not far from here.”

 

Draco wanted to object, tell this guy off, and ask him to leave. But he was sure that his friend would do that himself.

 

“Sure.” Joseph said, shocking both of his friends. “I’ll see you guys back at the dorm.”

 

Draco stared dumbfounded as the two walked away. A part of him wanted to chase after them and stop what he thought was going to happen, which was those two would talk, reconcile, confess their feelings, and end up together. The thought of that made Draco’s insides twist and turn. He was brought back to earth when Theo got his attention, looking extremely peeved. The two walked back to the dormitory in silence.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Cedric and Harry had met at the park around noon and it was nearly evening. The two talked about the upcoming school year, but mostly of the upcoming Quidditch World Cup Final. Harry had already gotten the owl from Ron informing him about the tickets. Cedric was extremely glad to hear that he would be able to see Harry, but the mood shifted when Harry showed his support for Bulgaria and Cedric argued that Ireland that was going to win. They began arguing about skill, strategy, team composition until they just ended up chasing each other. It ended when Cedrc caught up with Harry, grabbing him by the arm before tripping and pulling the Gryffindor to the ground with him.

 

”You ready to admit defeat, Potter?” Cedric asked as he kept a firm hold on Harry.

 

“I’ve faced far worse than you, Diggory.” Harry returned with a smile.

 

Cedric let one arm go and let his other hand slide into the shorter teen’s, standing them up before brushing the grass off their clothes. They began walking towards Privet Drive slowly.

 

“I heard from our Slytherin confidant that he’ll be back in England next week.” Cedric said. “Why don’t we all get together, we can even invite Hermione and Cho.”

 

“I think that’s a great idea, but Joseph and Hermione only know each other through school work, and neither of us know Cho that well.” Harry replied.

 

“Don’t worry, Cho’s extremely nice. A major pain in the ass, but nice.” Cedric joked. “And I’m sure they’ll all hit it off, with them being smart and all.”

 

“Alright, I’ll owl Hermione and Joseph later. I’ll tell them to meet us at the park.” Harry said.

 

“I’ll tell Cho the same thing.” Cedric returned.

 

The two arrived at the end of Privet Drive and the brunette gave Harry a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving and the shorter teen headed back to his relative’s home as soon as Cedric was out of sight.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Draco sat on his bed, looking out at the starry sky through the window. It’d been four hours since Joseph left with his “old friend.” Dinner had already passed and Draco assumed that the two of them had dinner together, probably in a restaurant with an intimate ambiance. Draco groaned and let his head fall onto his pillows. Thinking about these things wasn’t helping and he was angrier with himself than with the situation. In all honesty, Draco knew he had fallen for his childhood friend since the day he got sick and Joseph took care of him. He never told the raven because of the possibility of being rejected, perhaps because he only saw Draco as a friend, he’d get angry for making him suffer through emotional turmoil, or he had fallen for someone else, like Theo. The last possibility made Draco’s stomach twist more than the others.

 

The door opened and Joseph walked in, greeting Draco with a simple nod before dropping his bag on his bed, and heading straight to the bathroom. The taller boy returned wearing his sleepwear and began fixing his things.

 

“You bought another book?” Draco asked.

 

“Yes, Richard thought I might like it.” Joseph replied.

 

“How was it, seeing your old friend?” Draco asked, trying not to ball his hands into fists.

 

“It was fine. We talked, caught up, reminisced on a few things.” Joseph answered, not noticing the great shift in the blonde’s mood. “We then agreed to keep in touch through letters.”

 

And that was it; Draco stood, walked, and stopped directly in front of Joseph, staring at him with his hands balled into fists. The raven raised an eyebrow and expected to get another one of Draco’s hissy fits for leaving him with Theo that afternoon. Unexpectedly, Draco threw his arms around Joseph and buried his face in his friend’s chest.

 

“What’s going on?” Joseph asked with wide eyes.

 

“You can’t be with him.” Draco said. “He hurt you.”

 

“So, who should I be with?” Joseph asked, gently placing his hands on Draco’s shoulders.

 

“Someone who cares a lot about you.” Draco began. “Someone who listens to you, who’s there for you, who knows you as much or even better than you know yourself.”

 

“Someone like you?” Joseph asked and Draco waited a few minutes before nodding.

 

Joseph sat them down on his bed and waited until Draco released the raven, moving back a few inches.

 

“Well it’s quite obvious from your reaction that father showed you what happened.” Joseph said and Draco nodded. “And I’m not with Richard.”

 

“What about the talking, and keeping in touch?” Draco asked. “And you rarely get a book anyone else recommends.”

 

“We did talk, catching up and about what had happened, and we’re fine now.” Joseph explained. “We will be keeping in touch because we were great friends before the incident and we have near similar tastes in books.”

 

“Yeah, alright.” Draco said, realizing how he put himself in a very embarrassing position. He was about to go and lock himself in the bathroom when Joseph held his hand.

 

“He did talk to me about realizing that he felt the same way a month after my absence and if I was single and wanted, we could try being together.” He explained.

 

“And what did you say?” Draco asked.

 

“I said that I’d always have feelings for him, but I had stronger feelings for someone else.” Joseph replied

 

Draco stared and smiled, before embracing the taller teen again. Joseph wrapped his arms around the blonde’s shoulders.

 

“But don’t think we’re going straight to being a couple Draco.” Joseph said. “Just because we have feelings for each other doesn’t mean we’re good for each other.”

 

“So what, we’re going to date first?” Draco asked, but liked the idea.

 

“I guess, or we could just talk when we’re alone, get to know each other on a different level.” Joseph replied

 

“That’s fine, but what assurance do I have that you won’t fall in love with someone else?” Draco asked.

 

The blonde felt Joseph move away a little and then fingers on his chin, tilting his head up. He then felt soft lips on his and it took a few seconds before everything registered in his mind and he began kissing back. The kiss was short and chaste, but it sent jolts of electricity throughout Draco’s body.

 

“Let me guess;” The raven began as he stared into Draco’s grey eyes. “Your heart is pounding, your legs feel like jelly and if I wasn’t holding onto you, you feel like you’d just fall.” Draco nodded and Joseph pressed their foreheads together. “That’s how I feel every time we’re together.”

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Harry met with Hermione a few minutes before noon at a bookshop a few blocks away from the park. When Harry got there, Hermione had just bought the latest book of a series she had been following. They then walked towards the park while discussing the plans for the upcoming World Cup Finals. When they got to the park, Cho and Cedric were sitting at a picnic table. Everyone greeted each other with smiles and it was a few more minutes before the Slytherin joined them.

 

“So how was the advanced potion course in Germany?” Hermione asked. “I would’ve gone too, but my parents want to spend the entire summer with me before I go back to school.”

 

“It was very comprehensive. A great experience, all in all.” Joseph replied.

 

Harry noticed that there was a significant change in Joseph’s demeanour. He engaged in the conversations more, he talked to Cho openly even though they just met, and he seemed relaxed or happy. The girls left early and Harry began asking his questions.

 

“Did anything happen in Germany?” He asked. “Are you dating someone? Are you dating Malfoy?”  


“Wait, the guy you like is Malfoy?” Cedric asked in shock.

 

“Yes, the person I like is Draco.” Joseph replied while rolling his eyes. “And we’re not dating, officially. We’re just going to see how things go and get to know each other on a different level.”

 

“Well, you both have feelings for each other.” Cedric said. “Isn’t that enough to try and see if the relationship will go somewhere?”

 

“Just having feelings for someone doesn’t automatically make you right for that person. You could just be in love with the idea you have of the person. That’s why getting to know each other as more than friends is important.” Joseph replied. “But enough about me, how are you two doing?”

 

Harry and Cedric looked at each other and smiled, taking each other’s hand.

 

“We’re doing great.” Cedric replied.

 

“Yeah. Right now, it looks like clear skies from here.” Harry added, and Joseph agreed and smiled


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter 17: Mosmordre**

Harry sat at his desk in the middle of the night. He contemplated on sending a letter to Sirius about how the nightmare he had and how his scar hurt upon waking up. As much as he wanted his help, Harry thought that Sirius might not have much information and there was a possibility of him getting caught in the process. He had owled Hermione about it and she had gone through several books already and none had an answer. He then owled Joseph, who had access to more materials than Hermione, and said he had found several curses that caused scars to hurt, but they eventually faded over time and never came back. None of them also caused any nightmares.

 

But he knew that among everyone he knew, Sirius had the best chance of knowing what it meant. Harry wrote a quick and short letter before waking Hedwig and sending her to deliver it to Sirius. Harry stared out the window and wondered as he remembered the nightmare. Was it really a nightmare? It felt extremely real. There are those kinds of dreams where you feel it’s really happening, but this felt different from those. Harry stood and took out the album from his closet and lied on his bed. He went through the pages and smiled at all of the moving pictures, the memories of dates, silly times with friends, and quiet moments.

 

Harry pressed his fingers against a photo of Cedric, supposedly sleeping, opening his eyes and reaching for Harry. He hadn’t told Cedric yet and wondered why. The usual reasons came to mind; no need to worry him over something minor, this has happened before and I was able to handle it. Those reasons obviously leaving out that they involved Voldemort. He sighed and told himself that he’d tell Cedric after the World Cup Final before going through the album again and falling asleep.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Harry arrived at the Burrow half an hour ago and what a lovely mess the Weasley’s made in the Dursleys’ home. Harry could still picture his aunt’s face as she tried to stuff Dudley’s elongated tongue back into her son’s mouth. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley gave the twins an earful, but the twins seemed happy with the result of their experiment. Harry also met the two eldest Weasley sons, Bill and Charlie. Charlie, who worked with Dragons in Romania and who took Norbert off Hagrid’s hands, was a very charismatic and friendly guy. Bill was, as well, but knowing that he was Head Boy before, it shocked Harry to see that Bill had this extremely laid back attitude. He reminded Harry of the people you’d find at a rock concert.

 

 _Harry._ A familiar voice called Harry smiled.

 

 _Hey Ced, you do remember we’re seeing each other tomorrow, right?_ Harry replied

 

 _I know but I’ve missed you._ Cedric replied. _Besides, I wanted to make sure you got to the Weasleys._

_Well, I did, and you won’t believe what happened._ Harry said before recounting what had happened to his cousin. _Dudley’s tongue was ten feet long before my aunt and uncle allowed Mr. Weasley to fix it with magic._

_Well, the twat had it coming, anyway._ Cedric replied after recovering from laughing.

 

Harry smiled and frowned when he remembered what he was thinking about last night.

 

 _Harry, what’s wrong?_ Cedric asked.

 

 _Nothing_ Harry replied.

 

 _Come on, I know you better than that. What’s bothering you?_ Cedric asked again.

 

 _Nothing_ Harry repeated. _I’m just so excited for tomorrow; I get to see you, we’ll get to watch the finals, and I’ll probably see a lot of my friends from school. There’s so much to look forward to, it feels like there’s nothing worthwhile to do today._

_Alright_ Cedric replied, but Harry knew the brunette wasn’t going to let this go. He’d tell Cedric tomorrow, anyway.

 

“Harry dear, time for dinner!” Mrs. Weasley called as she knocked on the door.

 

“I’ll be right down Mrs. Weasley.” Harry called back. _I’ve got to go. See you tomorrow. Love you_

_Love you too, Harry. See you tomorrow._ Cedric replied

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Cedic sighed and rubbed his face with his hand. He knew something was bothering Harry, he just couldn’t figure out what it could be.

 

“Ced, we’ve been waiting for you for five minutes. Come on!” His father called through the door.

 

Cedric sighed and stood. He checked his appearance in the mirror and once he looked proper he walked down the stairs and into the lounge where his parents and three other people were waiting.

 

“Alyssa, Stephen, this is our son Cedric.”  Amos introduced as he placed a hand on his son’s shoulder. “Ced, this is Alyssa Duskgem, a member of the Wizengamot, and this is her husband Stephen, one of the best healers in St. Mungo’s.”

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet both of you.” Cedric greeted the two as he shook their hands with a smile.

 

“Your father has told so much about you.” Alyssa said and Cedric tried not to roll his eyes. “This is our son.”

 

“We’ve already met, mother.” Joseph said as he stepped forward and shook the brunette’s hand.

 

“Yes, I’m helping with his studies.” Cedric stated.

 

“Our son has never needed help with his academics his entire life.” Stephen exclaimed.

 

“He was trying to save face, father.” Joseph said with a smirk. “He didn’t want to admit I was helping him with…potions.”

 

“Come now son, there’s no shame in asking for help in something you’re not good at.” Amos said as he patted his son on the back. “At least you have the best tutor in that school with regards to potions.”

 

The Diggorys and Duskgems moved to the dining room and began with dinner, the adults talking about current events or their jobs while Joseph and Cedric quietly ate their dinner and contributed to the conversation occasionally. After dessert was served, Cedric led Joseph to his room.

 

“Your parents seem nice.” Cedric said as he sat on his bed.

 

“So does your mother.” Joseph replied, sitting at the chair at the desk. “Your father could brush up on his etiquette.”

 

“He’s only like that when he talks about me.” Cedric sighed.

 

“Which he seems to do very often.” Joseph said. “Don’t worry, yours is not the only parent who shows off their kid like an award. It seems like a regular activity between pureblood families.”

 

“I guess it is.” Cedric said with a smile. “So, have you spoken to Harry recently?”

 

“The last letter I sent to him was a few days ago. Why?” Joseph asked.

 

“Something’s wrong, I can feel it. Do you know anything?” Cedric asked and knew the answer when the raven didn’t reply. “What’s going on?”

 

“If Harry hasn’t told you, what makes you think I will?” Joseph replied.

 

“Come on, I need to if everything is alright. If he’s safe.” Cedric pleaded.

 

“Do you think he would’ve been talking to you earlier if he wasn’t?” Joseph sighed. “I know how you feel; you know something’s wrong and you want to keep him safe. But if he hasn’t told you what’s bothering him, respect his privacy and he’ll either fix the problem on his own or come to you when he’s ready.”

 

“I just hate feeling useless.” Cedric said.

 

“I get that too, but you’re not the only person in this relationship and you have to take into account what Harry’s feeling.” Joseph explained. “I’m sure Harry wants to tell you and has a good reason for not telling you, but be patient and trust that he can take care of himself. I think he’s proven that he can.”

 

Cedric smiled and thanked the other teen before moving onto other topics.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Harry walked behind the group, trying to make sure Ron didn’t fall asleep while walking. A few minutes and they climbed a hill. On top was a man standing beside a tall tree.

 

“Amos!” Mr. Weasley called as he waved to the man.

 

“Good morning Arthur!” The other man greeted back. “Where are Molly and the other three?”

 

“They’ll be arriving later, since they can all apparate and you know Molly doesn’t enjoy the sport as much as this lot.” Arhtur explained. “Where’s your boy?”

 

As if on cue, the sound of ruffling leaves and bending branches was heard and Cedric landed right next to his father.

 

“Pleasure to meet you Mr. Weasley.” Cedric said as he greeted Arthur.

 

“And Mr. Potter, a pleasure it is to meet you as well.” Amos said as he approached Harry.

 

“The pleasure’s all mine, Mr. Diggory.” Harry returned.

 

“You’re making a name for yourself for being quite the flyer, which was expected from James Potter’s son.” Amos gushed. “Of course, even with those genes, you couldn’t beat Ced.”

 

“It wasn’t a fair win, dad.” Cedric said as he rolled his eyes. “Dementors attacked Harry and he fell off his broom. Professor Dumbledore even suspended all matches until they left.”

 

The entire group began walking again, with Cedric up front with his dad and Mr. Weasley, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny in the middle, and the twins taking up the rear. On their way to their destination, Cedric would constantly look back at Harry and the two would smile at each other before returning to their conversations. They then reached a hill with a boot at the top.

 

“Alright everyone, get ready.” Arthur said and everyone other than Harry and Hermione began kneeling around the boot. “Come on Harry, Hermione. Gather around and hold on tightly to the portkey.”

 

Harry and Hermione followed suit and as soon as everyone had a good grip on the portkey, Mr. Weasley began counting down and as soon as he reached one, Harry felt as if he was being pulled. His feet left the ground, Hermione and Ron’s shoulders banged into his and soon, his feet were on the ground and so was he. He looked around and saw that everyone else other than Arthur, Amos, and Cedric. The three looked windswept, but other than that, they were fine.

 

“How are you a seeker with that kind of balance?” Cedric asked as he offered a hand to Harry.

 

“Really, up until now you’ve never complained about how I handle a broomstick.” Harry whispered when Cedric pulled him up, making the brunette blush.

 

“Looks like our Slytherin friend is rubbing off on you.” Cedric stated as they walked beside each other.

 

“Joseph has nothing to do with this.” Harry replied. “You just bring out this whole different side of me.”

 

“Then I’m glad I’m the only one who gets to see this side of you.” Cedric said. “Come over to my tent later?”

 

“Won’t your dad be there?” Harry returned.

 

“When the match is over, every ministry higher up will be at some sort of party.” Cedric explained and Harry nodded. The two shared a quick kiss before catching up to the rest of the group.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Draco stood in front of the fairly large house on a hill a walk away from the stadium. This house was ordered to be made by his father and several of his close associates who couldn’t stomach the thought of staying in tents. The house looked like any normal house, but it was much larger on the inside and accommodated every single one of Draco’s and his friends’ families. The front door opened and Draco heard the person approaching him. Joseph stopped next to him and looked down at the stadium and the sea of tents.

 

“Your father talked to you about what’s going to happen?” Draco asked and Joseph nodded. “What did he tell you to do?”

 

“Leave as soon as the match is over. You?” Joseph returned.

 

“He encouraged me to stay.” Draco replied, making Joseph sigh. “And I might as well, seeing as it’s…”

 

“I already know your reason for even considering staying.” Joseph said. “And that reason isn’t good enough. Draco, when everything starts, it’s going to be pure and utter chaos. You could get hurt, or worse. Do you think if you’re in their path…doing what they’re doing, they’ll stop to consider it’s you?”

 

“I’m…still staying…” Draco said unconvincingly.

 

“Then good luck.” Joseph said before turning and walking back towards the house.

 

“I know something’s up.” Draco called, making the raven stop. “There’s something on your mind. What is it?”

 

“Your father, your reason for doing nearly everything. That’s what’s on my mind.” Joseph replied, turning to face Draco.

 

“What about it?” The blonde asked as he approached the taller teen.

 

“Think ahead Draco; you want, above anything else, is to make your father proud. What happens in the future when he decides it’s time to call our betrothed?” Joseph asked and Draco’s grey eyes widened. “Yes, I know your parents have arranged your marriage with Astoria Greengrass. Tell me, will you tell them about us, or will you go with their wishes. Evidence suggests you’re going to do the latter.”

 

Silence followed and the two stared at each other for a while. Draco knew something had been bugging the raven for a while now, it was the only thing that he suspected to keep their relationship from moving forward. At first, he thought it was something like how long he thought the relationship would last, or what problem would they encounter, but he never expected this because the only people who knew about this arrangement was his family and Astoria’s family.

 

“The purpose…of that arrangement was to provide a pureblood heir.” Draco said. “That purpose would be served even if it was the two of us.”

 

“Your parents know that and you know that that’s not the only reason.” Joseph replied. “If that was the only reason, then they could’ve added me, Blaise, Theo, and several other people to the list. And seeing as how the population of pureblood families is dwindling, why not consider a male? You know as well as I do that arrangement was as much for family tradition as it was for the utility.”

 

“I don’t think it should matter since I like you.” Draco said, taking a hold of Joseph’s hand.

 

“You can say all the sweet words you can think of and buy me anything and everything I want, but this is an issue of commitment, Dray.” Joseph said. “How committed are you to making this relationship work. How can I sleep soundly at night knowing that the person next to me can’t make up his mind about choosing me or fulfilling his father’s wishes?”

 

Draco looked down. He had no response, or at least a truthful one, and lying to Joseph wasn’t going to make this situation better.

 

“Listen, I’m fine with still dating. Honestly, it’s the most fun thing I’ve ever done.” Joseph said with a small smile. “But until you can give me a straight answer, our relationship isn’t going to progress.”

 

Draco nodded and Joseph gave the blonde’s hand a short squeeze before re-entering the house.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Night had fallen and although the match was long over, everyone was still ecstatic about the match, Bulgaria fans even more so than the Ireland fans, who were tough to beat when it came to celebrating. Harry was enjoying himself with his friends when Cedric called for him.

 

 _Harry, my tent’s a few steps away from the water pump._ He instructed and Harry told him he was on his way.

 

“’Mione, can you come with me?” Harry whispered to the brunette and explained what was going on.

 

“Where are you guys off to?” Ron asked

 

“We’re nearly out of water.” Harry said and grabbed an empty bucket. “Better to do it now than later when we need it and it’s all out.”

 

Harry and Hermione walked towards the pump and talked about the match as well, but Hermione talked more about the performances of the mascots and the animals that the Bulgarian team brought with them rather than the match. They reached the pump and saw Cedric waving at them.

 

“Hey guys.” He greeted. “Enjoy the match?”

 

“Of course we did.” Harry replied and Hermione nodded.

 

“Surprising since Ireland won, with a ten point lead.” Cedric said with a smile.

 

“But as a fellow seeker to another, it was all about who got the snitch.” Harry returned.

 

“Well, I’d better get back and tell them you got roped into a debate with Wood.” Hermione said.

 

“Yeah, thanks.” Harry said. “And sorry for making your carry a bucket of water back all by yourself.”

 

“Don’t worry. It’s nothing a simple levitating charm won’t help with.” Hermione said. “You two behave.”

 

The brunette then left and Harry and Cedric entered the tent. Much like the Weasley’s, it was bigger than it looked on the outside with two room’s with their own bathrooms, a kitchen with a dining table that sat six people, and a lounge with a  large hearth and two comfortable couches. They headed to Cedric’s room and once the brunette pulled the opening shut and cast a charm to make sure no one disturbed them, he pulled the raven close and pressed their lips together. Harry immediately responded and wrapped his arms around Cedric’s neck.

 

“You don’t know how much I’ve been fighting the urge to do that.” Cedric said as they separated for air.

 

“Probably as much as I’ve been fighting the urge to pull you into the woods for some alone time.” Harry replied in between pants.

 

“Really? You’d do it in the woods?” Cedric asked

 

“We already did it once.” Harry replied.

 

“We had a tent.” Cedric returned.

 

The two then sat on Cedric’s bed and talked about their day. Cedric showed Harry what he had bought for souvenirs; like Ron, he bought a green rosette and he also bought one of those hats with the dancing leprechauns. He also had the figures of all of the players of the Irish team.

 

“Ced, there’s been something I’ve been meaning to tell you.” Harry began and Cedric gave Harry his full attention. “When it was my first year my scar hurt and I brushed it off as nothing. I then learned that the reason my scar hurt was because Volde…You-Know-Who was close by. Three days ago, I had a nightmare about You-Know-Who and Pettigrew planning to kill someone and when I woke up, my scar was hurting.”

 

Cedric’s eyes widened and he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend.

 

“You’re alright, aren’t you?” Cedric asked.

 

“Yeah, I’m sure He wasn’t near my relatives’ house that night.” Harry said and sighed. “I wrote to Hermione and Joseph and they didn’t come across anything that matched what I described. I owled Sirius too, but I haven’t heard back from him. I wanted to tell you when it happened, but I didn’t want you to worry.”

 

“Harry, I’m always worried about you.” Cedric said as he pulled the raven onto his lap. “And given who you are and what you’ve gotten into in the past few years, I’d be stupid not to. But I’m not here to share just the good times with you. I’ll be here, I want to be here with you through the bad stuff too. So don’t hold back anything that’s bothering you just because you don’t want me to worry. I’m here for you, alright?”

 

Harry smiled and nodded, hugging the brunette tightly. He pulled away and his green orbs clashed with Cedric’s grey ones. Cedric leaned in closer but before the two’s lips could touch, the sound of screams caused them to pull away. They ran out the tent and saw several others on fire, witch and wizards screaming and running towards the woods. Through some of the spaces in between the tents Harry and Cedric saw a group of people all dressed in black. Harry tried to make out their faces but they looked distorted. A few seconds later, Harry realized they were wearing masks.

 

Some of them had their wands pointed upward and Harry was shocked to see Mr. Roberts, the muggle groundskeeper, a woman, and a child being levitated and spun around, as if they were puppets. Harry deduced that that was Mr. Roberts’s family.

 

“That’s sick.” Cedric commented.

 

“We need to stop them.” Harry said but before he could jump to action, someone’s voice stopped them.

 

“Cedric!” Amos Diggory called as he approached the boys followed by some other wizards. “Are you boys alright?”

 

“We are, but we’ve got to stop those people from hurting those muggles.” Harry said and the other people Mr. Diggory was with immediately headed in the direction Harry pointed.

 

“Listen to me; this is something you two should leave to us.” Amos said. “Head for the forest and look for your friends. If you can, find the Weasleys and stay with them. I’ll explain everything later.”

 

With that, Amos left and Harry and Cedric did as they were told and headed towards the woods.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Draco watched as the scene unfolded from his place in the woods. In all honesty, he wanted to leave with Joseph as soon as the match ended and be back home rather than watch everything from the woods. Lately, he even wondered why he did things for his father’s approval. A scream coming from close by pulled him from his thoughts.

 

“Ron what happened?” A voice belonging to Granger called. “Where are you? Lumos!”

 

“Over here.” Ron called. “Tripped over a tree root.”

 

“With the size of those feet, it’s hard not to.” Draco said, immediately catching the attention of the two Gryffindors.

 

“Malfoy, what’re you doing here?” Hermione asked as she helped Ron up.

 

“Watching the show, of course.” Draco replied. “You’d better run along too, Granger. Don’t want to be here when they get close.”

 

“Why not?” Ron yelled.

 

“They’re looking for muggles and those who aren’t worthy of learning magic.” Draco explained. “And trust me, they know a mudblood when they see one.”

 

“And how’d you know? Your parents somewhere in that group?” Ron yelled.

 

“If they were, I wouldn’t be stupid enough to tell you Weasley.” Draco returned. “Say, where is Potter? Run with his tail between his legs, or has he gotten himself killed already?”

 

Ron was about to retort when an explosion just outside the tree line caught their attention.

 

“Run along Granger.” Draco said and as much as they hated to do it, Hermione and Ron ran deeper into the woods.

 

Seeing as there was nothing else that would amuse him, Draco decided to leave. He took out his wand and as he was about to cast a spell to lead him through the quickest route back to the house, a ball of white passed right in front of him, landed a few feet away and exploded, causing his wand to fly out of his hand. Draco heard wood snapping and turned to see a tree beginning to lean and fall towards him. He shielded his face with both his arms and prepared to be crushed.

 

“Bombarda Maxima!” Someone shouted and the falling tree was reduced to sawdust.

 

Draco brushed the dust off him and saw Joseph walk towards him.

 

“I thought you left.” Draco said.

 

“Knowing you, I knew you’d get in trouble.” Joseph replied, picking up Draco’s wand. “It looks like I made the right decision.”

 

Joseph handed Draco back his wand and without letting go of his hand, he began leading the blonde through the forest.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Early the next morning, Harry was awake and stared out onto the field of abandoned tents. He then looked up to the grey sky, the same one that showed off Voldemort’s sign. He sighed and took in a deep breath.

 

“Harry.” Someone called and Harry turned to face Cedric.

 

Cedric gave a small smile, but it did nothing to help the sombre mood of the morning. He then slowly pulled Harry into a hug, hoping to help push the events of the past night to the back of his mind.

 

“Thank you.” Harry said when they pulled away.

 

“Anytime.” Cedric said with a smile and this time, Harry smiled back.

 

“Ced!” Amos called as he approached. “Ah Harry, how are you?”

 

“I’m well Mr. Diggory.” Harry replied. “Certainly feeling better from last night.”

 

“Yes, about that. I’m sorry for jumping in and accusing you. Your wand did cast the spell and having found that elf with it, I was sure it couldn’t have cast it.” Amos apologized.

 

“It’s alright. I understand.” Harry insisted. “I mean it was chaos last night, everyone was frantic and after learning that that was You-Know-Who’s calling card, I understood the panic and urgency in everyone.”

 

“Well, thank you.” Amos said. “If you ever need help, feel free to approach Ced in school. He’d be happy to. Now come on, we better get home before your mother has a heart attack.”

 

“Talk to you later?” Cedric whispered and Harry nodded.

 

Harry watched and waved goodbye as the Diggorys moved towards the other end of the tree line. Harry returned his gaze to the field of tents. He thought about the events of passed days; he had a dream about Voldermort and Pettigrew plotting to kill him and woke up with his scar hurting, which didn’t happen unless Voldemort was close by. Three days later his servants go wreaking havoc, toying with muggles and Voldemort’s sign appears over the field. _This can’t be a coincidence._


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter 18: Worries**

 

Harry sat in the compartment with his friends, mindlessly nodding as I he was listening to the conversation, but he kept returning to his dream and the attack of the Death Eaters. The trolley arriving brought him out of his thoughts and went out to buy some sweets. Harry shared with Ron and Hermione and tired to put the event to the back of his mind by discussing what everyone, including Malfoy, was hinting about. As they got closer to the school, Harry thought of going to see Cedric. It was strange because since they got onto the train, Cedric had been strangely silent. He’d check on the raven, asking if he was alright and start a short conversation about a random topic, but it made Harry think that there was something bothering Cedric, probably he knew what was going on at the school too. They arrived and greeted Hagrid as he gathered the first-years and headed for the boats.

 

“Hi Harry.” Cho greeted as the trio approached her. The person next to her turned and it was Cedric, who smiled and greeted them. “Looks like we’re all sharing a carriage.”

 

It was slightly awkward at first, since everyone but Ron knew about Harry’s relationship with Cedric. He asked Joseph with help on giving the news to Ron because he knew that once Ron knew about it, his whole family would, and he wasn’t ready for that. The Slytherin advised Harry to tell Ron that he and Cedric met once in the library last year, began discussing Quidditch and became friends, so at least he’d have an excuse of hanging with him or being friendly. But Harry forgot and talking to Cedric in a friendly way would make Ron ask a lot of questions.

 

:”So…Potter.” Cedric began awkwardly. Cho kept herself from chuckling at the brunette’s uneasiness. “Think Gryffindor will finally win the Quidditch Cup?”

 

“Of course we will!” Ron interjected. “Well, that is if what’s going on in Hogwarts doesn’t cancel it.”

 

“There’s something going on at Hogwarts?” Cho asked.

 

“Yeah. Mr. Bagman wanted to tell us when he came to chat with my dad at the World Cup.” Ron said, immediately glancing at Harry, who nodded. “And before we left the platform, my mum and brothers hinted at it too. Even Malfoy seemed to know.”

 

“Well if it’s a reason to cancel the school’s Quidditch tournament, then it better be good.” Cedric said, Ron agreeing with the brunette.

 

The rest of the ride was less awkward, as the boys talked about Quidditch and the girls talking about, as Hermione put it, more important things, like the reason why they were asked to bring formal wear. They separated when they got to the castle and headed for their tables. Harry looked over to Cedric when they got settled and the brunette smiled before returning his attention to his housemate. Harry then glanced over to the Slytherin table and found Malfoy in his usual spot in the centre, surrounded by his friends, and Joseph beside him, reading a book and looking like he’d rather be elsewhere.

 

“Can’t the first-years hurry up?” Ron said. “I’m starving…and I want to know what’s going on with the school.”

 

Hermione rolled her eyes and Harry chuckled, but the first-years entered shortly, following Professor McGonagall. At the end of the night, the school was still buzzing with excitement over the Triwizard Tournament, even with the implementation of the age restriction. As Harry walked through the Great Hall’s doors, he felt someone hold his wrist. Harry turned to see Cedric right behind him, using the large sea of people as a cover of getting close to him.

 

“Astronomy Tower at nine?” Cedric whispered. Harry nodded and the two parted ways.

 

Harry sat on the couch with Ron and Hermione, pretending to be pre-occupied with something while waiting for the clock to strike nine. Ron excused himself around half past eight to turn in.

 

“Harry, when are you going to tell Ron?” Hermione asked.

 

“I don’t know ‘Mione.” Harry sighed. “You’re more reasonable than he is and I was afraid of how’d you react. I just can’t stand the thought of losing my best friend over this.”

 

“I get it but Harry, Ron’s you’re best friend.” Hermione said. “You’re practically brothers. Sure he might  not have a great reaction to it at first, and he will need time to take in the information completely, but he’ll still be your best friend. I think you should tell him but if it makes you uncomfortable or you’re not ready, don’t.”

 

Harry nodded and promised he’d think about it. Their discussion was cut short by a tapping on the window. It was Hedwig and she had just returned with Sirius’s reply. He said that Harry’s scar was one of the ‘signs’ he and Dumbledore had been noticing and if it should happen again, he told Harry to go directly to the headmaster. He also said he’s coming back, which Harry dreaded because he could get caught. His worry caused him to snap at both Hedwig and Hermione. Harry rushed into his room and buried his face in his pillows. Remembering he promised to meet Cedric, Harry got up. He was still worried about Sirius and penned a quick fake excuse, intending to send it later. Draping his Invisibility Cloak over himself, Harry quietly made his way out of the Gryffindor common room and through the corridors. Once he reached the top, he saw Cedric leaning over the rails, and Harry smiled and forgot his worries.

 

“Hey.” Harry greeted as he stopped next to Cedric.

 

“Hey you.” Cedric greeted back, giving Harry a kiss on the cheek. “How are you?”

 

“I’m fine.” Harry replied with a smile. “The Triwizard Tournament is the only thing anyone can talk about, though.”

 

“Yeah, about that.” Cedric began. “Harry, the reason why I didn’t talk much on the ride to school was because of the tournament. I’ve known about it since summer and I’ve been worried.”

 

“Ced, you don’t have to worry about me entering.” Harry said. “Even if there wasn’t an age restriction, I wouldn’t put my name forward. I pray for a quiet year every summer.”

 

“Well, that was only part of it, since my dad didn’t tell me about the age restriction.” Cedric said and looked at Harry. “I’m thinking of putting my name forward.”

 

“You’re thinking of entering?” Harry asked.

 

“I know it’s risky and there’s a possibility that I could end up really hurt or…worse.” Cedric said. “But the thing is, I really want to enter, become Hogwarts’s champion and if I do, do everything to win it.”

 

“Ced, I am afraid of you getting hurt.” Harry said as he took Cedric’s hand. “But if you really want to do it, then I support you.”

 

“Really?” Cedric asked wide-eyed

 

“Yeah, I’m actually glad I’m not going to be the one in the centre of all the excitement this year.” Harry said with a smile. “Besides, this way, I get to be your number one fan.”

 

Cedric smiled widely and pulled Harry into a hug. They broke off and began talking about what kind of tasks Cedric might face if he was champion. Things from duelling veteran wizards to trying to escape a shrinking room were suggested. Professor McGonagall’s giant chess set came to mind and Cedric admitted he was rubbish at it.

 

“Well, I don’t think they will since there are only three champions.” Harry said and smiled fondly.

 

“Hey, are you really alright with me entering?” Cedric asked. “If you don’t want me to, I won’t.”

 

“What kind of boyfriend would I be if I keep you from doing the things you want to do?” Harry asked. “I am worried, I’d be stupid not to. But I know you’re quite capable of taking care of yourself, and I trust Dumbledore when he said that every measure had been taken to make sure none of you are put in mortal peril. More than anything, I’m worried about how little time we’ll have once the tournament starts.”

 

“Your invisibility cloak will help with that.” Cedric chuckled.

 

“Yeah, seeing Cedric Diggory laughing or talking with no one will make Hogwarts confident in their champion.” Harry returned sarcastically. “So the worry now is you’ll either get injured or sent to St. Mungo’s.”

 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if the latter happened though.” Cedric admitted, wrapping his arms around Harry’s waist and pulling him close.

 

“Why’s that?” Harry asked, resting his hands on the brunette’s elbows.

 

“Because I’m absolutely crazy about you, Harry Potter.” Cedric whispered.

 

Harry smiled and blushed, giving Cedric a short kiss on the lips before pushing away.

 

“Come on, don’t want to get detention on the first day.” Harry said.

 

“Yeah.” Cedric agreed, taking Harry’s hand and walking down with him. “The tournament doesn’t start for a month. So, we’ll just have to go on a lot of dates to make up for the ones I’ll miss.”

 

“Well, if you’re going to miss plenty of dates, then I expect something great.” Harry replied.

 

“I hope I’ll meet Mr. Potter’s high standard.” Cedric returned.

 

“Make sure it doesn’t involve rats, snakes, and the Whomping Willow and you’re good.”


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter 19: Flash of Green**

A new day had dawned over Hogwarts and students were heading towards the respective classes. The fourth-years of Gryffindor were on their way for the first lesson with Professor Moody in Defence Against the Dark Arts. They were all excited at the fact that someone with real experience as an auror teaching them and after hearing what the other students said about the class, not even a period of potions could dampen their mood. Of course, not everyone shared the same feelings.

 

“Father says the man’s insane.” Draco said as he walked with his friends. “Charming his rubbish bins to attack intruders, that should be enough proof. Sure, he caught most of the dark wizards in Azkaban, but he should be locked in there himself, for everyone else’s safety.”

 

Harry rolled his eyes. Malfoy was obviously trying make everyone not like Moody before sitting in his class just because Dumbledore had asked him personally to fill in this year. Harry knew that Draco’s father hated Dumbledore and would rather have Professor Snape as headmaster of the school. But excluding his friends and a few others, some of the Slytherins didn’t seem convinced and none of the Gryffindors were even listening to Malfoy. Harry then looked at Joseph, who walked beside the blonde, and wondered how he fell in love with an obnoxious git like him. He did point out that the Malfoy they were seeing was a result of him wanting to impress his father so badly that he practically emulated the older blonde. Harry didn’t understand the logic of that, not once did he feel the need to act a certain way to impress somebody.

 

The classroom door opened and they all got in, Harry and Ron taking the seats in the front. Professor Moody walked in, introduced himself, and began talking about how the Ministry didn’t want him to teach them anything dangerous and how he thought differently, saying that they couldn’t protect themselves from what they don’t know. For someone who’s been branded as insane, his logic was pretty sound.

 

“Now, how many Unforgivable Curses are there?” Professor Moody asked and hands rose. “Ms. Granger?”

 

“Three, sir.” Hermione answered.

 

“And why are they called that?” Professer Moody asked.

 

“Because they are unforgivable.” Hermione answered. “Any use of a single one of them on a human will-“

 

“Will earn you a one-way ticket to Azkaban.” Professor Moody. “Now…Weasley!”

 

“Yes?” Ron whimpered.

 

“Stand.” Moody said and the ginger complied. “Give us a curse.”

 

“Well, my dad told me about one; the Imperius Curse.” Ron replied.

 

“Your father would know all about that one.” Moody agreed, making Ron sit. “Gave the Ministry a whole lot of grief years ago. This ought to show you why.”

 

The ex-auror moved behind his desk and opened up the container with a spider and let the spider onto his hand, before walking back to the front of the class.

 

“Engorgio.” He casted on the spider and it grew to the size of a puppy. “Imperio.”

 

The enlarged spider went stiff for a few seconds before jumping off of Moody’s hand and onto Ron’s desk and doing a tap dance. The class laughed and applauded, then Moody made spider jump onto Padma Patil’s arm, making it slowly climb up. Moody assured her that it was perfectly safe, but Padma didn’t look assured. Moody then made the spider jump onto Ron’s head, laughing and teasing how the spider was venomous. Harry didn’t think he’d see anything funnier than Ron’s face at the moment, but Professor Moody proved him wrong when his electric-blue eye looked to the left side of the room.

 

“What are you laughing at?” He asked before making the spider jump onto Malfoy’s face, making the blonde squirm while Goyle tried to swat the insect off with his book. Harry looked to the back to see his Slytherin friend trying to hide his smile behind his hand.

 

“What should I have her do next? Jump out the window? Drown herself?” Professor Moody asked and the spider moved to the edge of an open window, then the top of an aquarium. The classroom fell silent and Moody brought back the spider to the front. “Complete and total control over another person; that is why the Imperius curse is dangerous, and it takes a strong-willed wizard to resist it.”

 

He looked at all of the faces in the room, checking to see if everyone understood, and nodded.

 

“Now, Longbottom.” He called and Neville nervously stood. “Professor Sprout tells me you have an aptitude for Herbology. Now give us a curse.”

 

“Well, there’s the C-Cruciatus Curse.” Neville answered and Professor Moody nodded and gestured him to come closer to the front, letting the spider down onto his desk.

 

“Curcio.” He casted with his wand pointed at the spider.

 

The spider began twitching and screaming. The noise made everyone uncomfortable, but it seemed to affect Neville the most.

 

“Stop it, can’t you see it’s bothering him?! Stop it!” Hermione pleaded.

 

The professor looked to Neville, as if he broke out of a trance, and stopped. He took the spider back into his hand and walked towards Hermione’s desk, placing the fatigued insect in front of her when he got there.

 

“Perhaps you can give us the last curse, Ms. Granger.” Moody suggested and Hermione shook her head, which she never did when asked for an answer. “No? Avada Kedavra!”

 

A green bolt shot from Moody’s wand to the spider, making it keel over instantly.

 

“The Killing Curse.” Moody said as he began walking around. “One hit and you’re out, instantly. There’s no know counter-curse for it and the only known survivor of it is in this room.”

 

Harry looked up to see Moody staring down at him and something clicked in his mind. He then looked at Hermione, who still look horrified, with the corpse of the spider still on her desk.

 

“Now, on with the lesson.”

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

“Harry, what’s wrong?” Cedric asked. He and Harry met up and went to spend their free period with a picnic by Black Lake. They had finished their meal and sat together under the shade of a tree. Cedric grew suspicious that something was wrong when he realized Harry was being more quiet the usual.

 

“Well, it has something to do with what happened in class today.” Harry said and Cedric nodded. “Ever since I found out that my parents were murdered by some wizard, I was wondering how it happened. Today, Professor Moody showed us the Unforgivable Curses and the last one, the Killing Curse, he said that I was the only survivor and it made me think. Was that all it was? Was the last thing my parents saw was a green light before everything went black?”

 

Cedric didn’t know what to say to Harry. He knew about the Unforgivable Curses and he heard stories about how Voldemort and his followers went through the country, home to home, killing people who got in their way and those who were unlucky of being muggle-born. So Cedric pulled Harry onto his lap and wrapped his arms around the raven. Harry straddled Cedric’s legs, wrapped his arms around his shoulders, and buried his face in the brunette’s neck. They stayed like that for a few minutes before Harry pulled away and smiled up at Cedric.

 

“You always know how to make me feel better.” He said.

 

“Well, I try.” Cedric said as he kissed Harry on the forehead. “What class do you have next?”

 

“Ugh, Potions.” Harry groaned and laid his head on Cedric’s chest. “Can’t I just stay here with you? I’m sure Snape would prefer it if I didn’t show up.”

 

“Snape’s not that bad if you do what’s instructed. Potions is basically following orders.” Cedric said. “And I thought you had gotten better since last year.”

 

“I am, but Snape’s gotten worse to work for.” Harry said. “It’s obviously because he got beaten for the Defence job for the nth time.”

 

“You’re really stressed out.” Cedric returned as he ran his hand down Harry’s back. “Maybe a warm bath in the Prefects’ Bathroom would relieve you.”

 

“Mr. Diggory, you do know the punishment in giving unauthorized access to students?” Harry teased as he raised his head to be at level with Cedric’s.

 

“Well, nobody will see you since you’ll be under your Invisibility Cloak.” Cedric replied.

 

“Abusing privileges, breaking rules, and so early in the school year.” Harry replied, giving the brunette a quick peck on the cheek.

 

“What can I say? You running around and breaking rules in the past year has rubbed off on me.” Cedric returned, pulling Harry in and locking their lips together.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reason for the influx of chapters: My main account is on FF.net and I made this one because I've encountered several times when I couldn't log into FF.net. I would also like to state that navigating my way through AO3 is much easier. I've been meaning to move my work from there to here for a long time, but writing for my stories along with my actual work made me lose track, so I just decided to dump everything. Hope you guys enjoy. You are now up to date.
> 
> This chapter is mostly about my OC (Joseph). I thought I should shed some light on him. Will this be relevant in the future? Maybe. Like most people, I have a plot, an intended ending, but I'm mostly making things up as I go. Hope you guys enjoy this chapter.

**Chapter 20: Mask**

The month of October finally arrived and the entire school grew more and more excited as the Tri-Wizard Tournament drew closer, but mostly because everyone was excited to meet the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. That morning during breakfast, Professor Dumbledore announced that the students from each schools would arrive a week from the thirty-first to allow them to get acquainted with the grounds. The fourth-year Slytherins were in their joint class of History of Magic with the Ravenclaws. Professor Binns asked them to write an analysis on the fall of the Western Roman Empire. Draco had already encountered this topic when he was younger. He explained in his analysis how a lot of powerful, wizarding families in Rome knew that their empire would fall, so they tried to gather as much land and troops as possible. It eventually led to infighting amongst them and the lack of unity and trust of the people to the emperor eventually caused Rome to fall. Joseph, who was sitting beside him, was also finished and had a book out.

 

“Did you hear that Cassius Warrington’s going to put his name forward for the tournament?” Draco asked quietly.

 

“It was hard not to, considering he stomped around the common room the first night back, trying to rally support, as if he were running for minister.” Joseph said and Draco nodded with a smile.

 

“What do you think will happen if he’s the Hogwarts champion?” Draco asked.

 

“Well, every other house will object and ask for some sort of do over.” Joseph answered, setting his book down. “But there never has been any record of the champions being replaced, not even after death, so I doubt it’ll happen. Anyway, the only house that will support Cassius will be Slytherin and the rest will root for the champion of Durmstrang or Beauxbatons.”

 

Draco nodded in agreement. They’d been talking about the people who were definitely going to put their name forward and discussed how they’d fare. So far, they considered a seventh-year from Ravenclaw to be the best chance Hogwarts has of winning the tournament.

 

“We can be sure that Durmstrang and Beauxbatons are going to put up a fight.” Draco said.

 

“Well, Beauxbatons is where Nicolas Flamel was a student and a lot of their other alumni have joined the ranks of the M.E.S.P.” Joseph said. “And Grindelwald studied at Durmstrang, but they did expel him before he became a full-fledged Dark Wizard. They’re also one of the handful of schools in the world the still has a Duelling Club.”

 

“How do you know so much about the schools?” Draco asked.

 

“When I turned six, mother and father brought up the inevitable future of me going off to study at a magical school.” Joseph explained. “They brought up Hogwarts, obviously, but they also informed me about other schools, in other countries. Out of all of them, Beauxbatons interested me the most. I almost decided to study there until I found out that a lot of subjects, like Defence and Charms, they focused more on the theoretical aspect.”

 

“I see. So did you learn about Durmstrang in that time too?” Draco asked.

 

“No. I actually learned about Durmstrang during the holidays.” Joseph admitted and Draco gave him a confused look. “Father was actually considering transferring me to Durmstrang this year.”

 

“Why?” Draco asked with wide eyes.

 

“You know why, Draco.” Joseph said before moving closer to the blonde, lowering his voice so they wouldn’t be heard. “He feels that if something involving what happened at the World Cup does happen, I’d be safer there.”

 

Draco nodded and considered perhaps that that was why his father wanted to send him to Durmstrang in the first place. Although it was a valid point, Draco didn’t think he could bear the thought of his friend being thousands of miles away.

 

“So what made him change his mind?” Draco whispered back.

 

“I didn’t want to go, of course.” Joseph replied. “And mother objected greatly, but he needed something else. So, I gave him something that he could use, and no, I can’t tell you what it is. Not yet, at least.”

 

“So, only a month until the first Hogsmeade weekend. Do you want to do or go anywhere?” Draco asked, trying to move to a happier topic.

 

“I was actually thinking of having lunch with you at L’alchimiste.” Joseph replied and smiled when Draco’s jaw dropped slightly.

 

“That’s the fanciest restaurant in Hogsmeade.” Draco said. “It’s so hard to get a reservation.”

 

“I know, that’s why I sent an owl a week before we returned to Hogwarts.” Joseph said with a smile.

 

Draco smiled back and squeezed the other’s hand. Ever since their talk before the World Cup Final, they strayed away from the topic of the future of their relationship and focused on the present. They went to eat out or do activities like horse riding. At times, Joseph would surprise the blonde, like when they rode a blimp. Draco wanted so much to tell the raven that he won’t marry Astoria and that he was fully committed to him, but he could hear his father’s voice, telling him that was the wrong thing to do, how it was un-Malfoy like, and that he’d be a disgrace to his heritage. This internal struggle kept him awake a lot of nights and he knew it wasn’t going to get easier.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Harry always dreaded potions, not just because he was rubbish at it, but because the one teaching it was a complete and utter git. He had gotten better, but Snape would always find something to criticize about the potion or he and Harry would lose his focus. Still, he needed to get a passing grade, not only for himself, but he’d rather not give Snape anymore ammunition. Speaking of the devil, Snape entered the classroom and all talk was immediately silenced.

 

“Today, you will work in pairs to create a complex potion; the Blood-Replenishing Potion.” Snape said while looking around the room. “If you lack any common sense, it is a potion given to a person who has suffered great blood loss. This is one of those potions that, if one thing is done incorrectly, it will render your potion completely useless. Now, I know that most of you will pair up with a friend or someone you’re comfortable with, but you will obviously fail if both of your are inept at this subject.” Snape glanced at Ron and Harry’s table. “So you will be pairing up with someone of the opposite house.”

 

Everyone started to complain, but in hushed whispers. As much as the Gryffindors would much rather be eaten by the giant squid instead of work with a Slytherin, Snape was never known for being forgiving of anyone who refused to cooperate.

 

“Honestly, I would rather you stay with your usual partners. It would be a shame if anyone of my students is injured due to the incompetence of people such as Longbottom.” Snape said, making the Slytherins snicker. “But, as the headmaster pointed out, the Triwizard tournament was created to form close friendships with other magical schools. So he wishes to instil the same kind of friendships between the four houses.” Some students nodded, but nearly everyone grumbled. “Those refusing to co-operate will receive a grade equalling that if you fail to create the assigned potion. Now, pair up.”

 

And with that, the students reluctantly got up from their seats and looked for someone of the other house to pair up with. Ron got up and got stuck with Milicent Bulstrode. They both seemed equally unhappy, but accepted the situation they were in. Harry was about to get up and look for a partner, when he heard someone take Ron’s former seat. He turned to see Joseph bringing out his notebook and book.

 

“That shocked look is good.” Joseph said. “It will keep our friendship in the dark.”

 

“Well, I just thought you’d partner up with someone like Hermione.” Harry said.

 

“Well, pairing with you means that I can give the excuse that you’re rubbish and did everything I told you to do.” Joseph said with a smirk.

 

Harry nodded in agreement and was relieved that he’d be able to finish the assigned potion without any hiccups. The chalk began writing the list of ingredients and the steps on the board, and everyone headed for the cupboards to gather their ingredients.

 

“Well, Mr. Potter, it seems luck is on your side, seeing as you’re paired with Mr. Duskgem.” Snape said as he stopped in front of the two’s workstation. “However Mr. Duskgem, you will need something more powerful than a miracle to make sure you complete today’s assigned task with Potter.” Harry just looked at the Potions Master, trying to hide his anger, knowing full well of the repercussions if he let it show. Snape then set down the box he was carrying, opened it, and took out a small vial with a thick, red liquid. “I’m sure you’re all aware that this is dragon’s blood. It is highly valuable and very expensive. Meaning if you waste yours, you will not get another vial.”

 

Snape moved around and handed out the vials, handing them over to the Slytherins rather than the Gryffindors. Snape even ignored Hermione’s open hand and gave the vial to Pansy Parkinson. Everyone in Gryffindor hated when Snape treated them like idiots, but they hated it even more when he treated Hermione like one.  Everyone began working, and Harry, thanks to Joseph delegating what tasks each of them should do, was able to keep up. Half an hour later, they were only three steps away from completing the potion. Snape had gone to check on them from time to time, but could find nothing to criticize and simply sneered at their cauldron.

 

“If I knew that all it’d take to make Snape shut up was to do well, then I would’ve studied harder.” Harry joked.

 

“While I agree with Professor’s Snape’s methods in teaching the subject, he is probably the reason why a lot of people lose interest in the subject.” Joseph admitted and Harry shot a questioning look his way, “Well, humans are inherently inquisitive beings. We want to learn, it’s just that there are other factors that make us want to either continue learning or stop. Things like the environment or the teacher.”

 

Harry nodded and agreed. He had actually been interested in Potions up until the end of Snape’s speech last year and became a total asshole. And now that Harry thought about it, he probably would’ve been friends with Draco, had he met the blonde before Ron. Not because of his attitude, but because he could learn a lot about the Wizarding World from him and if Joseph was there, he probably would’ve kept Draco in line. Harry added the powdered unicorn horn, making the liquid in the cauldron turn blue. He was about to uncork the vial of dragon’s blood when he felt a hand on his.

 

“Not yet.” Joseph said, taking the vial from Harry. “We have to let the mixture boil for three minutes. It’s right there.”

 

Harry looked at the board. It was there, but Harry didn’t notice it the first time.

 

“Sorry, guessed I missed that part.” Harry said sheepishly.

 

“Those glasses, they’re the ones from before you got to Hogwarts?” Joseph asked and Harry nodded. “And you haven’t been to a healer?”

 

“No, I thought healers treat serious injuries. What do my glasses have to do with me missing the line in the board?” Harry asked.

 

“Because Harry, as we grow older, our senses begin to weaken. Muggle glasses are prescribed for your current eyesight and once it weakens, you be prescribed a new pair.” Joseph said as he took Harry’s round-rimmed glasses. “Healers casts a spell on the lenses so they can adjust according to the need of the wizard or witch. If you take care of your glasses and don’t lose them, you could go your whole life only owning a single pair.”

 

Joseph took out his wand, said a few words, and gold sparks shot at the lenses of Harry’s glasses, making them shine for short while before returning to normal. Joseph placed the glasses back on Harry’s face and the Gryffindor looked around to see that everything was clearer.

 

“This is amazing.” Harry said and thanked the taller raven. “But you said healers did this, how do you know the spell?”

 

“My father’s a healer.” Joseph stated, making Harry blush at forgetting. “He thought me the spell in case I needed a new pair.”

 

Harry smiled and thanked the taller raven. He looked back into the cauldron to see the mixture turn orange. Joseph signalled him to pour in the dragon’s blood and did so. As Joseph stirred the liquid, making it turn to a nearly transparent bronze, Harry surveyed his surroundings and looked back to see Draco giving him a death glare. The blonde has done so several times over the past few years, but this one was more intense than any other one he had given. Perhaps it had something to do with that he and Joseph were dating. Him having Seamus as a partner could’ve also contributed to that since the Irish was known to blow up everything he tried to succeed in, figuratively and literally.

 

“Well Mr. Duskgem, it seems you found something more powerful than a miracle.” Snape remarked as he checked their potion. “You don’t have a vial of Felix Felicis hidden in your robes?”

 

“No sir.” Joseph replied. “I didn’t find something more powerful than a miracle, but I did find something more practical; co-operation.”

 

“Yes, well seeing as how you finished early, the two of you may leave.” Snape said, and Joseph and Harry gathered their things and left.

 

“Did you really mean it?” Harry asked as he walked down the corridors with Joseph. “Was I of any help?”

 

“Yes Harry, you were very helpful.” Joseph replied. “Granted that I could’ve completed the potion on my own, I would’ve finished it later.”

 

“I’m glad.” Harry said. “Also, thank you again for fixing my glasses.”

 

“No problem.” Joseph replied. “Your muggle glasses are probably a contributing factor as to why you kept doing the wrong things in the past.”

 

“So, why do we have to keep everyone in the dark about our friendship?” Harry asked. “Sure Professor Snape wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about the idea, but school unity is important. Maybe the two of us can help bridge the gap between the houses.”

 

“As much as I would like to and would love school unity, it’d be more beneficial to both of us, in the long term, if no one knew.” Joseph said, Harry noticing that he was uncomfortable.

 

“What do you mean?” Harry asked

 

“Let’s just say, like my parents and many of my ancestors, I’m well-versed in playing both sides.” Joseph said as he raised his hand to wave at someone. Harry looked to see Cedric walking down the stairs. Harry waved and smiled at him. He turned to Joseph to ask him more questions, but saw that the Slytherin was halfway out the entrance.

 

“Hey.” Cedric greeted with a smile. “I thought you had potions until four?”

 

“Well, I finished the potion early.” Harry said and smiled when Cedric looked shocked. He then explained what happened in class.

 

“Yeah, in Charms, Professor Flitwick paired us up with the Ravenclaws and we each had to levitate the other person.” Cedric said and looked down at Harry to see him frown. “What’s wrong?”

 

“It was something Joseph said.” Harry answered and recounted his conversation with the taller raven before he left. “The weirdest thing about it was that he looked uncomfortable talking about it. He never shows what he’s feeling.”

 

“That is strange, but we can make him tell us if he doesn’t want to.” Cedric said and Harry sighed. “I want to help him as much as you do, but we can’t if he doesn’t tell us what’s wrong.”

 

“Yeah. So, I suspect you have something planned?” Harry asked.

 

“As a matter of fact, since there’s no Quidditch tournament this year and Madame Hooch is done with her class, I thought we’d go flying.” Cedric replied. “No one booked the field and we can fly until dinner.”

 

Harry smiled and headed to the field with Cedric, taking a break in trying to figure out his Slytherin friend.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

_~*~*~4 Months Earlier~*~*~_

“Father, I’m not going!” Joseph yelled.

 

“Yes you are, it’s for your own safety.” Stephen returned.

 

“Stephen, you can’t honestly believe that send Joseph thousands of miles away will keep him safe from Voldemort.” Alyssa said.

 

“If he does come back, which we know he will, he’ll focus his efforts here in England.” Stephen argued.

 

“Oh please, you know as well as I do that that monster is not limited to his geographic location, and he even have other people do it for him.” Alyssa returned. “Besides, Kakaroff’s headmaster there, he’d give up our son to save his own hide without giving it a second thought.”

 

“He’s in more Jeopardy if he stays in Hogwarts.” Stephen replied. “Sure, Dumbledore is headmaster, but how long will it take for Voldemort to get his own people into the Ministry and force him out? There’s no reason for him to stay there. At least, not one that will keep him safe.”

 

“I actually have a reason, father.” Joseph said and his parents turned to him. “Last school year, I befriended Harry Potter. I helped him with a few subjects and we became friends. I can use this as an excuse in being a spy for Voldemort. I can feed him significant information, but not so much that he will gain an advantage over Harry.”

 

“Being a double-agent is harder than trying to hide from Voldemort.” Alyssa said.

 

“True, but you and father have both trained me to be a skilled Occlumens.” Joseph explained. “And I’m no stranger to hiding my feelings, emotions, and intentions. I’ve had years of practice.”

 

Alyssa protested some more, to which Joseph gave a logical and practical answer. Stephen watched the two in their exchange, but hadn’t said anything. In the end they both turned to him.

 

“I think Joseph should return to Hogwarts.” Stephen finally said, his wife looking incredulously at him. “As you stated, he’ll be much safer with us rather than somewhere far off. With this we can keep a close eye on him, and we can use him as a means of communicating with the Order when they reform. We can prevent greater losses this time around, Alyssa.”

 

Alyssa looked at her husband, then to her son before leaving without another word. Stephen approached his son and placed his hands on his shoulders.

 

“You understand the risks of taking up this task?” Stephen asked and Joseph nodded. “I must ask you that should you feel you are in danger of anything, from being exposed to literal death, run and come to me or your mother.”

 

“I will try, but I won’t promise anything, father.” Joseph replied.

 

“I know the only reason you want to stay is Draco, but you should look after yourself first.” Stephen said with a sigh. “As soon as Voldemort’s back, every word that comes out of your mouth and every action you take must be calculated and every single possibility must be taken to account. You can never let anyone know anything true about you until it’s all over. You do understand, right?”

 

“If I’m being honest father, life is so much easier when I’m wearing a mask.”


	23. Chapter 23

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Hello everyone. I apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I think I know how Harry feels like; whereas bad things happen to him around Halloween, I’m prevented from updating my stories near Christmas. I was 75% done with this chapter when my laptop wouldn’t connect to the internet. We then went somewhere for the holidays and didn’t get back until the 2nd of January. Thankfully, it’s fixed and I hope I won’t encounter the same problem again. Again, I’m sorry for the long delay and hope you all enjoy this chapter.
> 
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**Chapter 21: Unexpected & Shocking Surprises**

Professor McGonagall had all the Gryffindors in two straight files, snapping and anyone who said anything inappropriate or looked indecent. It was a week before Halloween, a week before the official start of the Triwizard Tournament, and the delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang were arriving. All the houses were there, all lined up the same way the Gryffindors were. They were all excited to meet the students from the other schools, so much so that it caused them to get snapped at by their Heads. Unsurprisingly, the Slytherins were the most well-behaved among all of them. It probably helped that their Head of House was known for failing a student for saying a single word during a test. Harry’s focus shifted from the other houses to the skies when someone pointed out that the other schools were arriving and they were flying. He saw a large moving silhouette. Some students thought it was a dragon, but that was very unlikely. It was a few minutes later when everyone saw that it was a large carriage being pulled by twelve white winged horses.

 

It landed in the centre of the courtyard and a male in blue, silk clothing opened the door and out came, probably, the tallest woman Harry ever laid eyes on; she was taller than Hagrid and wore a long, black satin dress and a necklace of opals, she had black eyes, and black hair drawn back from her face. Following her out of the carriage were two lines of male and female students. Everything they were wearing was the colour of sky blue and made of silk, everything from the hats on their heads to their pants, for the males, or skirts, for the females. Unsurprisingly, they rubbed their arms to generate some form of heat from the cold.

 

“Madame Maxime.” Dumbledore greeted the tall woman, taking her hand and kissing it.

 

“Dumbly-dor, it eez a pleasure, as always.” Madame Maxime returned.

 

“Likewise.” Dumbledore said. “Karkaroff will be here shortly. Will you stay here and wait for him, or would you rather go inside to warm up?”

 

“I zink zat my students and I would like to warm up.” Madame Maxime replied. “But I am a little concerned about our ‘orses.”

 

“I’m sure our gamekeeper, Rubues Hagrid, is more than qualified enough to take care of these magnificent beasts.” Dumbledore said as he gestured to Hagrid.

 

“I must warn you, Monsiuer ‘Agrid zat zese are some of the ‘ardest creatures to care for.” Madame Maxime said. “Zey only drink single-malt whiskey.”

 

After Hagrid assured the Beauxbatons headmistress he was capable of caring for her horses, Madame Maxime led her students inside to warm up. It wasn’t long after when a student called everyone’s attention to the water. It looked like a pole was rising from the water, which turned out to be a mast and a few seconds later, the ship emerged from the water. It docked and a tall, thin man with long black hair and a black goatee wearing a fur coat and hat walked out, followed by students wearing similar looking coats and hats. There was an air of confidence and strength to the students of Durmstrang, but they’re arrival was overshadowed by one thing.

 

“Harry, Harry, look; it’s Krum.” Ron said and the ginger was right; walking behind the Durmstrang headmaster was the Bulgarian seeker, Viktor Krum.

 

“Dumbledore!” Karkaroff greeted cheerfully. Harry watched it and was unnerved when he noticed that Karkroff’s smile didn’t reach his eyes. The blue orbs looked cold and cruel.

 

“Good to see you, Igor.” Dumbledore said as he hugged Karkaroff. “Shall we all go inside to enjoy a fine lunch?”

 

All the students went into and sat at their respective tables. The Beauxbatons students were by the fireplaces and immediately stood when they saw everyone come in. While Karkaroff walked down the middle with Dumbledore and Madame Maxime was already seated at the high table, their students looked unsure where to sit. Ron, being the crazed fan boy he was, was telling Seamus to move and tried to get Krum’s attention. In the end, the Durmstrang students sat at the Slytherin table and the Beauxbatons students sat at the Ravenclaw table. Ron practically seethed with rage when he saw Malfoy, of all people, talking with Krum, while Harry chuckled at seeing the raven beside the blonde, his nose in a book and looking like he’d rather be somewhere else.

 

“A pleasant afternoon to everyone and on behalf of the entire school, I’d like to extend our warmest welcomes to our guests from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.” Dumbledore said when he stood. “As some of you may have known, originally, our guests were supposed to arrive on the thirtieth. But I was able to convince Madame Maxime and Headmaster Karkaroff to come a week earlier so that their students may become familiar and enjoy what Hogwarts offers their guests, since those who are going to compete will otherwise be pre-occupied. Well, enough of that. Time to tuck in.”

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Draco watched amused as the students of Durmstrang look surprised when the food appeared on the table.

 

“Have you had any English dishes, Viktor?” He asked the seeker sitting across him.

 

“Only a few, and they ver all desserts.” Viktor replied. “Vould you please pass the moussaka, Draco?”

 

The blonde was nervous as he looked at all the plates, not knowing which one he was referring to. Joseph simply picked up the plate that held something that looked like a three-layered casserole; the bottom layer was minced pork, the second was a layer of potatoes, and the top layer was a custard.

 

“Have you had many Bulgarian dishes…” Viktor began to ask, but realized he did not know the raven’s name.

 

“Joseph.” The raven finished. “And yes, I have. I’m very fond of the shopska salad, especially when I have a plate of kebapche to go with it.”

 

“Well, vich English dish do you think I should try?” Viktor asked.

 

“Well, I’d recommend shepherd’s pie.” Joseph said. “It’s a good ‘in-between’ since it’s a pie of beef, potatoes, carrots, and peas.”

 

Viktor nodded and gladly tried the recommended dish, along with some of his schoolmates, who all seemed to like it. The students then began sharing stories about how things were like in their respective schools.

 

“I know this might be a sore topic to talk about, since it only happened a few months ago, but ver you at the Vorld Cup Finals?” Viktor asked.

 

“Why would that be a sore subject?” Draco asked.

 

“Vell, your country did host this year, and those people, called Death Eaters, caused havoc.” Viktor explained. “I’m also avare that most of them came from England.”

 

“Yes, well your headmaster was a Death Eater.” Draco muttered.

 

“What Draco meant to say was that Lord Voldemort’s influence knew no bounds.” Joseph clarified. “People from all over Europe flocked to him, some of them because they agreed with his ideals, while some others joined for the chance to gain power or wealth. I think the majority of the Death Eaters coming from England was to be expected, since Voldemort did grow up here and it was unlikely that he was well-known in other countries when he began.”

 

“I agree with that, but that vosn’t ver I was leading the conversation to.” Viktor said. “I vos vondering vot you thought of the match.”

 

“Oh, well the match was great.” Draco replied, his cheeks becoming a faint pink. “And you were great too. You pulled of the Wronski Feint brilliantly.”

 

“Thank you.” Viktor said. “And you Joseph? Vere you at the Vorld Cup Finals or did you have your nose in a book?”

 

“I was at the Finals.” Joseph replied with a smirk. “But I can hardly give a proper opinion on the match.”

 

“I doubt that.” Viktor said.

 

“Well, I can give you a observational look into the match, but Draco will be able to give a better opinion about it since he’s the one who actually plays.” Joseph answered and Viktor gave him a look that said he wanted to hear his opinion. “Well, the entire Bulgarian team is very skilled, probably even more so than the Irish team, but your team was also fragmented. Your chasers all wanted the quaffle so they could score the points and would pass only when there was no other way. Your beaters hit the bludgers towards who they thought they would be able to hit, not those who posed a greater threat. You may have been more skilled than the Irish team, but they were more cohesive with each other.”

 

“I’m impressed.” Viktor said with a smile. “And yes, our chasers are quite the, I believe muggles use the term ‘ball hogs.’”

 

Draco looked between the two and wondered what was going on. The headmaster dismissing them caught his attention and Draco remembered they still had classes to attend.

 

“Well, it was nice to meet you, Viktor.” He said as he stood with his friends.

 

“It vos nice to meet you both, as vell.” Viktor returned. “I hope ve vill be able to talk again another time.”

 

Draco agreed while Joseph nodded and the two headed to their Ancient Runes class.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Harry was drowning out most of what Professor Trelawney was saying during Divination. A supposedly interesting class now became a tedious appointment in which his death was predicted every ten minutes. He suddenly wished he had the time turner and send Hermione to tell him to take something else.

 

“What is wrong my dear?” Trelawney asked him and Harry realized he had groaned out loud. “Did you see a vision of your future?”

 

“Yes, I believe so.” Harry said, deciding to play along rather than receive a lecture how divination was to be taken seriously.

 

“Go on, tell us what you saw.” Trelawney said.

 

“Well, it wasn’t very clear, but I know something horrible and unexpected is going to happen to me soon.” Harry said.

 

“Yes, quite right.” The divination professor said as she nodded her head.

 

“Well, what’s going to happen to Harry, professor?” Seamus asked.

 

“If the fates did not deem to show your classmate what’s in store for him, then I cannot divulge that information.” Trelawney replied.

 

“But you could save Harry’s life if he was going to die by telling him.” Lavender said.

 

“It is never wise to try and outsmart fate.” Trelawney stated. “You could change yours for better or for worse, it is always a gamble.” She then returned to look at Harry. “My dear you’ve just received grave news. I think you should leave early so that you may come to accept what has been planned for you.”

 

Harry wasn’t going to argue. He packed his things, thanked the professor in the saddest tone he could make, and ran down the stairs as soon as he got off the ladder leading to the Divination classroom. He sent Cedric a quick message before heading to the kitchens to get something sweet and headed for the lake.

 

“Shouldn’t you be in Divination?” Cedric asked when he arrived.

 

“Well, I ‘predicted’ something horrible was going to happen to me and Trelawney let me leave to come to terms with it.” Harry said and offered an éclair to the Hufflepuff, who took it and sat next to his boyfriend.

 

“I hope you’re less talented than her in predicting the future.” Cedric said. “I’d rather you not die of something horrible soon.”

 

“I didn’t say I was going to die, just that something bad was going to happen.” Harry clarified. “That could range from a lot of things from death to failing a test.”

 

“Well, I don’t want to test fate.” Cedric mocked and smiled. “Were you able to talk to any of the students from Beauxbatons or Durmstrang?”

 

“Only one of them, and that was when she came over to ask for a fish soup.” Harry said. “I think Hermione called it a ‘bouillabaisse.’”

 

“It was actually really good.” Cedric admitted and chuckled at Harry’s expression. “You shouldn’t close yourself off to new things.”

 

“Fine, I’ll try it next time.” Harry said and leaned on Cedric. “One week left before the tournament starts. Do you think you’re ready?”

 

“I can prepare all I want for the tournament, but I’m sure the challenges will still catch me by surprise.” Cedric replied and wrapped an arm around Harry. “You’re worried.”

 

“Of course I am.” Harry said and snuggled closer to the brunette. “Isn’t it normal to worry when your boyfriend decides to enter a tournament that was cancelled because of the number of deaths?”

 

“I thought you were fine with this?” Cedric asked, moving Harry to sit directly in front of him and massaging his shoulders.

 

“I am fine with it, Ced. It’s just that…as the day got closer, it became more and more frightening to think about you competing.” Harry replied. “I know and trust that Dumbledore was telling the truth that he and the Ministry has made everything safe and no one would be in mortal peril, but the thought of losing you…”

 

Cedric stopped and hugged the raven, burying his face into the ebony locks. Harry laced his fingers with Cedric’s.

 

“Look Ced, I am terrified about losing you, just as much as you’re terrified as losing me, but I can’t help feeling terrified.” Harry said after a while. “If this is something you really want to do and you believe you can do this, then go for it.”

 

“I do think I can do it. I promise, I’ll come out of the tournament alive.” Cedric said and Harry gave a sigh of relief while he nodded. “Come on, let’s go visit Hedwig and Archie.”

.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

At Double Potions on Friday, Snape made them all return to their original seats at the start of the period, making everyone relieved. They were all individually assigned to brew an Anti-Paralysis potion. Harry thought it sounded simple, but saw how exact the steps had to be. Not only was there pressure to do every step perfectly but every time Snape passed his and Ron’s workstation, he criticized them both. The greasy haired Potions Master was about to approach the two Gryffindors again when there was a knock on the door.

 

“Afternoon, Severus.” Someone greeted cheerfully.

 

“You better have a good excuse for coming here during class hours, Igor.” Snape returned and Harry had no doubt that he was scowling.

 

“Forgive me, but some of my students vanted to see the legendary Potions Master at vork.” Karkaroff stated. “Vould you please indulge them?”

 

Snape scanned over the small group of students before returning his gaze to their headmaster.

 

“They will be seated by the walls, they will not interact with any of my students and if they cause any kind of noise, you will all be thrown out. Clear?” Snape said and Karkaroff and his students nodded.

 

“Harry, it’s Krum.” Ron whispered.

 

Harry looked up slightly and did see Viktor. Like his classmates, he transfigured a chair and placed it next to the wall near Joseph and Draco’s workstation.

 

“Why’s he sitting next to them?” Ron asked, extremely peeved by what he saw.

 

“Well, he did sit with them at lunch and talked to them.” Harry whispered, trying not to get caught by Snape. “Maybe he liked them.”

 

“But he can’t be friends with those gits.” Ron said.

 

“Five points from Gryffindor.” Snape said. “Just because you are inept at this subject Weasley doesn’t give you the right to make it harder for everyone else by causing distractions.”

 

“Well, it is Viktor Krum, we’re talking about here.” Harry whispered, trying to calm down his friend. “Maybe they’re not as bad as we think.”

 

Ron looked at his friend with a confused expression and Harry returned his focus to finishing his potion. Sadly Ron didn’t let the issue rest and his complaining distracted Harry, making Snape assign him an essay on the potion on two rolls of parchment. He was a little angry with Ron so he declined in doing their essays together and instead, asked Cedric to go with him to the library that night after dinner. He was so put off, he wasn’t as excited as he usually would’ve been when Dumbledore revealed the impartial judge of the tournament; the Goblet of Fire

 

“Don’t you think you were a little harsh with Ron?” Cedric asked as they entered the library.

 

“Even though Snape’s a git, he was right.” Harry said with a slightly annoyed look. “If Ron had just let the issue rest and kept quiet for the rest of the period, we wouldn’t be in the library right now.”  


“But you will forgive him, right?” Cedric asked.

 

“Probably, but I don’t think I want to.” Harry admitted and Cedric looked shocked. “He always does this. He gets mad when something he wants doesn’t go his way, and he’s worse when it involves Malfoy. Sure Malfoy started it and they’ve had a completely hostile relationship from the beginning, but why can’t he be the bigger man? The only reason Malfoy keeps insulting him is because he reacts to them the way Malfoy wants him to.”

 

“If he’s like that all the time, then why get mad at him now, when you could’ve done so countless times before?” Cedric asked.

 

“Maybe it was because Malfoy was attacking me too, or maybe it was because Ron was the first friend I made.” Harry sighed. “Come on, maybe Joseph’s here. Maybe he can help me finish this quicker.”

 

Harry and Cedric made their way to the back of the library, towards the Restricted Section when they heard voices. They identified that one of them was Joseph’s and assumed the other one belonged to one of his housemates. Understandably, they were quite shocked to see that the owner of the voice was Viktor Krum, even more so when they realized that the Bulgarian seeker’s lips were on the Slytherin’s. Cedric quietly led them back two rows of books before looking at each other wide-eyed. Harry opened his mouth to say something, but didn’t when he heard footsteps and saw Viktor pass them.

 

“What in Merlin’s name was that?” Harry asked in whispers.

 

“Well, I believe they were kissing.” Cedric said. “Do you think he and Malfoy broke up?”

 

“If he did, then Krum’s a great change compared to him.” Harry said.

 

“You shouldn’t think someone’s break up is a good thing if you don’t know everything. Just because he’s a git here doesn’t mean he’s one all the time.” Cedric scolded. “Joseph seemed to have strong feelings for Malfoy for a long time.”

 

“You’re right, I’m sorry.” Harry apologized.

 

“It’s alright.” Cedric said as he took Harry’s hand and led him towards their Slytherin friend. “Hey Joseph.”

 

“Hello, I assume you’ve come to ask help with your essay?” Joseph said and Harry nodded.

 

Harry and Cedric sat and the Gryffindor began taking out his things.

 

“What do you know about the potion, so far?” Joseph asked.

 

“It cures paralysis.” Harry answered.

 

“That’s right, but it also prevents it.” Joseph added. “Apothecaries in the medieval times made a lot of money by selling them to people, be it knights or mercenaries, who were tasked with killing a creature that could paralyse them.”

 

As Joseph helped Harry with his essay, Cedric engaged the Slytherin in conversation, but he seemed distracted since he’d stare at the books on the shelves or out the window. When they were done, Harry thanked Joseph and began packing stuff. He looked at the taller raven and opened his mouth to say something, but Joseph cut him off.

 

“If both of you saw what happened earlier, then I would kindly appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone.” Joseph said, still staring out the window. “And no, I don’t want to talk about it…yet.”

 

The couple nodded and left. They walked down the halls while quietly discussing what could’ve happened.

 

“Maybe we should stop speculating and wait for him to tell us.” Harry suggested and Cedric agreed. “So, tomorrow’s the thirtieth. I suppose the tournament starts tomorrow.”

 

“I think so too, Durmstrang and Beauxbatons were originally supposed to arrive tomorrow.” Cedric added and turned to Harry. “Kiss for good luck?”

 

Harry rolled his eyes, but smiled and wrapped his arms around the taller teen’s neck and locked their lips together. They parted for air after a few minutes and said goodnight, each heading to their respective dorm.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

_1 Hour Earlier…_

 

The Slytherins were enjoying their dinner with their new friends from Durmstrang. Near the far end, Draco, Joseph, Theo, Blaise, and their other friends were all discussing the Goblet of Fire and predicting who would put their names forward. Blaise suggested that Angelina Johnson would definitely put her name forward and his friends agreed, but thought she wouldn’t be Hogwarts’s best chance at winning. Theo suggested Cedric Diggory, making everyone but Joseph chuckle. Draco then suggested Aaron Lester, a seventh year in Ravenclaw, and everyone agreed that he might was probably the best candidate, so far. Of course they would support Cassius should he or any other Slytherin be chosen, but they were certainly lacking in specific skills.

 

“So, what do you want to do tonight?” Joseph asked.

 

“Well, its Pansy and her boyfriend’s one year anniversary, so I’d definitely like to avoid her and not get trapped listening to all the romantic stuff they did.” Draco replied.

 

“Jealous that you don’t have someone who’d shower you with affection Draco?” Pansy teased from across the table and Draco’s cheeks turned a slight pink.

 

He and Joseph agreed not to tell anyone they were dating until they knew how serious they were and where it was going. He looked to the raven seated next to him, he was sipping his pumpkin juice casually, but Draco knew he was bothered by the comment as well, given that his cheeks were also slightly pink. He then looked across the table and saw Daphne Greengrass talking to her younger sister Astoria, Draco’s intended. If he wanted to, his arranged marriage would be put off, all he had to do was say the word, and he did want to tell his father and mother that he did not want to marry Astoria, but something was stopping him.

 

He narrowed it down to a fear disappointing his parents, but he was sure that wasn’t the case; he knew his mother had know prejudice towards any other person based on who they love or what they believe in. She even always commented how he and Joseph looked good together when they were younger. His father was a different story; while his mother made it clear it did not matter to her what Draco did as long as he was happy, Lucius never really gave any indication as to what he wanted Draco to do or be except to ‘not disappoint.’ Astoria felt his gaze on her and looked at the blonde, giving him a small smile and waved. Draco returned this gesture and glanced to his side to see Joseph looking at Astoria as well, his mouth a thin line. Realizing that he had been staring, Draco opened his mouth to clarify, but was interrupted when a growingly familiar face arrived.

 

“Is this seat taken?” Viktor asked Joseph who shook his head and offered it to the Bulgarian seeker. Theo, who sat across them, also offered the seats next to him to two of the Durmstrang students with Viktor, although he looked reluctant to do so. “Your Potions class today vos interesting. I vish ve could’ve participated in some vay.”

 

“Well Professor Snape hates disruptions to his class.” Joseph said. “He probably only allowed you to sit in because he is old friends with Headmaster Karkaroff.”

 

“I vish ve had him as our Potions professor.” One of Viktor’s friends said and his schoolmates agreed.

 

“Our current professor is competent enough, but having someone of Professor Snape’s talents vould be better for us students.” Viktor added.

 

“Yes, but students also need to make an effort in trying to learn what is being thought.” Joseph said and Viktor nodded in agreement.

 

Viktor and Joseph got into an in-depth conversation about the Durmstrang potions curriculum.  Theo and Blaise seemed to hit it off with Viktor’s friends and were discussing the Quidditch teams in Bulgaria. Among their group, Draco was the only one not enjoying himself. He would’ve greatly enjoyed discussing about Bulgaria’s Quidditch teams, but he had been meaning to talk to his friend, who was now completely ignoring him. Sure, he’d loved it when Viktor chose to sit with them when they arrived and began developing a friendship with them. But he’d grown tired of him, especially since he’d take all of Joseph’s attention away.

 

“So, vot do you people do in your spare time?” Viktor asked.

 

“That depends on who you ask.” Joseph stated and Viktor gave him an inquiring look. “I can’t speak for everyone in Slytherin, but we usually just stay in the common room, talk, play exploding snap, read.”

 

“Yes, Joseph definitely doesn’t speak for everyone.” Blaise commented with a smirk.

 

“If you tried to actually open your book when not just required to, you might actually be able to compete with me, Zabini.” Joseph returned with his own smirk.

 

“I could do that, but I prefer to have fun while I can. We’ll be too pre-occupied with our O.W.L.s soon enough.” Blaise said before returning to his conversation with Theo and the two Durmstrang students.

 

“So, I take it you’re the responsible one?” Viktor asked with a smile.

 

“They’re all responsible and will do their work on time, but they’ll complain about it a lot.” Joseph answered before excusing himself and turning to Draco. “I think you were going to say something a while ago. What was it?”

 

“It was nothing.” Draco replied immediately.

 

“Draco.” Joseph whispered. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing, go back to talking to Krum and ignoring me.” Draco whispered back. “It’s just you getting back at me for staring at Astoria.”

 

“Why would I ignore you because you looked at Astoria?” Joseph questioned.

 

“Because you probably thought I was thinking about something related to our marriage.” Draco said.

 

“Really, you’d think I’d be so petty as to assume you’d be thinking about that and ignore you for it?” Joseph questioned.

 

“Well you weren’t too pleased the last time we discussed it.” Draco stated.

 

“That was at the World Cup.” Joseph said. “And excuse me for being concerned about being in a serious relationship that might not go anywhere.”

 

The two stared angrily at each other for a while. When Blaise noticed and asked them what was wrong, Joseph said that ‘nothing was wrong’ before excusing himself and left.

 

“Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?” Viktor asked Draco.

 

“Yes, we usually get into these small arguments from time to time, but everything will be alright later.” Draco replied, not completely believing his own words.

 

The group then continued with their conversation, Draco brushing off Blaise’s comment about ‘lovers’ spat’ and looked down at his plate for the rest of dinner.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

 

Draco walked into the library, immediately heading for the back. He sighed, wondering if Joseph would accept his apology. He realised that Joseph was not the type of person to assume he had thought about his marriage with Astoria, he also wasn’t the kind of person who’d ignore him even if he did. As he approached the end, his slowed down, wondering if Joseph didn’t accept his apology. He then wondered if the taller Slytherin said that he didn’t want to date him anymore. Thinking about that filled him with the same kind of dread he felt when he thought Joseph wouldn’t want to be his friend anymore. As he approached the end, he heard voices. One of them was his friend’s, he was sure, but then he recognized the other voice, and knew it didn’t belong to any student in Hogwarts.

 

“So, vy did you storm off earlier?” Viktor asked. Draco got to the row before the end and took a fairly large book from the shelf, opening and hiding his face, taking the seat beside the wall across Viktor and Joseph.

 

“That’s a rather personal question.” Joseph said with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Well, forgive me for thinking that ve had become friends since I’ve sat and talked vid you here since the first day ve arrived.” Viktor said.

 

“I did wonder why, of all the people here, you’ve chosen to sit with me, rather than someone closer to your age, or just by yourself.” Joseph stated.

 

“Is it a strange thing for people to enjoy your company?” Viktor asked.

 

“No, but it happens rarely.” Joseph said.

 

“I find that hard to believe.”  Viktor returned with a smile and Joseph raised an eyebrow.

 

Draco gripped the book so hard, he probably marked the cover with his nails. If Madame Pince found out, he’d get detention for a week. He peered over the book to see Joseph staring confusedly at the older teen.

 

“What are you implying?” Joseph asked.

 

“I’m implying that you’re a kind of person that someone vould vant to spend time vid.” Viktor said as he inched closer to the Slytherin.

 

“I’m in a relationship.” Joseph said immediately.

 

“That doesn’t mean you’re in a happy one.” Viktor said. “If you ver, you vould be with them tonight and not here.”

 

“We had a small argument.” Joseph said. “But all couples argue and when they do, that does not signal the end of their relationship.”

 

Whatever admiration Draco held for Krum had gone and was replaced with anger towards the Bulgarian seeker. Joseph was clearly trying to tell him that he wasn’t interested, but he kept trying to convince the raven that he’d be a better choice.

 

_As if!_ Draco thought to himself with a frown. He would’ve hexed the older, but restrained himself, knowing full well that his friend could take care of it should Viktor cross the line.

 

“Vell, ven does, in your opinion, a relationship end?” Viktor inquired

 

“It ends when either one of the people involved in the relationship stops trying to make things work.” Joseph replied pointedly.

 

“Have you or the person your vid stopped trying?” Viktor asked

 

“Of course not.” Joseph replied immediately, making Draco loosen his grip on the book.

 

“Have you considered it?” Viktor asked and the silence that followed gave the older teen his answer, as well as shock Draco. “Listen, I vill not tell you vot you should do. But you are a kind person, as evidenced by you allowing me to sit and speak to you every night, even though ve just met. You’re also a great person to talk to; I find it easy to speak to you about anything despite only knowing you for a veek. You definitely deserve better than someone who vould not want to spend time vid you just because of a small argument.”

 

“Is this you trying to see how many students you can snog with before returning to, what my mother calls, freezing hell?” Joseph asked, though there was no trace of anger or malice in his voice

 

“It is true that Durmstrang, on its vorst days, could most likely cause hypothermia if heating charms have not been placed.” Viktor returned with a chuckle. “But, surprising as it may be, I’m not the kind of person who doesn’t get into a relationship, I believe the term is ‘half-assed.”

 

“Fooled everyone with that army of teenage girls following you around” Joseph said, making Viktor chuckle. “Listen I think you’re a great guy, but-“

 

Draco was confused as to why Joseph didn’t finish his sentence. He peered over the book and was suddenly filled with rage. He let go of the book he was holding and walked out of the library as quickly as he could. As soon as he got out, he walked a few steps before leaning on a wall. Joseph and Viktor were kissing! Obviously Viktor had kissed Joseph, cutting his sentence. So why was Draco so angry? Maybe it was because he didn’t push Viktor away? But he did leave so suddenly, Joseph could’ve pushed the seeker away after he had left. The door to the library opened and Draco turned to see Viktor walk out with a small smile on his face.

 

“So that’s how it is, then?” Draco muttered to himself, before angrily stomping back to his common room.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

What in Merlin’s name happened? That’s the question that was running through Joseph’s head the entire night. He groaned as he remembered the events that occurred minutes ago. The Bulgarian seeker told him he wanted a relationship with him and kissed him. Joseph didn’t push him away, but that wasn’t from lack of trying. Viktor was older and physically stronger.

 

“I vill not pester you anymore or try anything like this again.” Viktor had said after they parted. “But think about it.”

 

“I won’t make any promises.” Joseph had replied.

 

_What the hell did I say that for?_ Joseph asked himself with a sigh, stopping in front of the entrance to the Slytherin common room. “Pure-blood.”

 

As soon as he walked in, he stopped, staring at the couch where Draco was talking to Astoria Greengrass. Normally, he’d just ignore it, since it didn’t mean anything. Draco could talk to whoever he wanted. What was different this time was that Draco had his arm resting on the back of the couch behind the younger Slytherin, and he had the same smile he had when different girls brought gifts to him.

 

“Excuse me Astoria, but I need to speak with Draco, it’ll only be for a few minutes.” Joseph said when he approached the two of them and thanked Astoria when she agreed. He led Draco into their dorm and climbed onto the taller Slytherin’s bed, shutting the curtains and casting Silencing Charms. “What the hell was that?”

 

“What are you referring to?” Draco asked with a raised eyebrow.

 

“Don’t play dumb, you know what I mean.” Joseph said. “Are you still mad about how I ‘ignored’ you tonight? When will you get it through that stubborn head of yours…-“

 

“I saw you and Krum kissing!” Draco yelled angrily. “In the library. I went to talk to you to find out you have been spending a lot of time with him and seeing as how I’m thinking about marrying Astoria, why not go for the handsome and talented seeker that obviously fancies you.”  


“He came to the library the first night he was here to hide from the girls that kept following him. Seeing as how I retreated to the back of the library for a similar purpose, I couldn’t really give a good reason as to why I shouldn’t let him.” Joseph returned. “And why in Merlin’s name do you think I’m moving on and going to date him. Do you really think a small argument will make me move on from you, who I’ve had feelings for since our second year, for someone I just met a few days ago?”

 

“Then why didn’t you push him away when he kissed?!” Draco asked.

 

“He was stronger. He could break my arm without exerting too much effort.” Joseph answered and Draco just scoffed. “If you really think that my dedication to you and our relationship is anything but complete, then I think we should just move on.”

 

“F-Fine.” Draco said after a long silence.

 

“Get off my bed.” Joseph said quietly, looking down at the mattress.

 

Draco did so, hesitating a little when he opened the curtains before leaving and returning to the common room

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Harry sat in the Great Hall dinner the next night, excited to find out who’d be chosen as Hogwarts’s champion. Even though he worried about Cedric, he couldn’t help but feel excited at the prospect of him being chosen. He looked over to the Slytherin table and was confused when he didn’t see Joseph with Draco or his other housemates. He looked further down and saw the taller raven seated beside Krum, surrounded by other Durmstrang students.

 

“Hermione, do you know if anything happened between Joseph and Malfoy?” Harry whispered to his friend and pointed out what he saw.

 

“I’m not sure, I haven’t heard anything.” Hermione replied. “Although I heard that they had some sort of argument last year near Christmas. It was probably why there seemed to be some tension between them when we were at Mr. Trent’s shop.”

 

Harry nodded, remembering the day he got his and Cedric’s necklaces. He was pulled from his thoughts when Dumbledore stood and asked for silence. The headmaster explained a few things before everyone watched the goblet intently. Then, the flame became red and a tongue of fire shot out, revealing a charred piece of parchment. Dumbledore took and read it.

 

“The champion of Durmstrang.” He announced in a loud and clear voice. “Is Viktor Krum.”

 

Everyone applauded as Viktor made his way to the staff table, but none were as vocal as Karkaroff. As soon as Viktor disappeared into the trophy room, silence returned to the hall. It was a few more seconds before the flames of the goblet turned red and another tongue of fire shot out.

 

“The champion of Beauxbatons is Miss Fleur Delacour.” Dumbledore announced and the girl who looked like a vela stood and walked gracefully towards the staff table.

 

“They look disappointed.” Hermione said to Harry.

 

Saying that those girls were disappointed was probably the understatement of the year; they were both sobbing into their arms. When Harry looked back to Dumbledore, silence had returned and everyone was looking intently at the goblet. The air was electric with excitement, all waiting to see who would be Hogwarts’s champion. Then, the fire turned red, a tongue of fire shout out, and Dumbledore grabbed the parchment.”

 

“The champion for Hogwarts is…” Dumbledore began as he read the parchment, making Harry mentally yell at him to get on with it. “Cedric Diggory!”

 

“No!” Ron yelled, but only Harry heard him, and the raven was too caught up in cheering and applauding for Cedric to be mad at the redhead.

 

As Cedric moved towards the staff table, he turned and looked directly at Harry with a wide smile. Harry smiled back, his nearly being as wide as the Hufflepuff’s. Cedric gave Harry a wink before disappearing into the trophy room.

 

_I’m worried, but happy for you._  Harry mentally said to Cedric.

 

_Thank you Harry, that means the world to me_ Cedric returned.

 

_I guess I should start to make preparations for your fan club’s first meeting_ Harry joked. _Wait…the goblet’s fire, it turned red again._

_What?_ Cedric asked

_Another piece of parchment shot out!_ Harry said

_Whose is it?!_ Cedric asked

_Hold on, Dumbledore hasn’t announced the name yet._ Harry replied

 

Dumbledore looked at the piece of charred parchment he was holding before looking up and announcing “Harry Potter.”


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter 22: Wise Words**

Cedric was confused as to why he had lost contact with Harry and was about to return to the Great Hall, when he heard footsteps and turned, and his face paled at seeing his boyfriend.

 

“What eez it?” Fleur asked. “Do zey want us to return to ze ‘all?”

 

Before Harry could respond, the sound of voices was heard, followed by scurrying footsteps, and then Professor Dumbledore entered the trophy room, followed by Madame Maxime, Headmaster Karkaroff, Barty Crouch, Ludo Bagman, and Professors McGonagall, Snape, and Moody, all of them but Professor Dumbledore arguing with each other.

 

“Harry, did you put your name in the goblet?” Dumbledore asked Harry, who shook his head. “Did you ask one of the older students to do it?”

 

“No sir.” Harry replied

 

“But of course e eez lying!” Madame Maxime exclaimed

 

“You assured us that your Age Line vould keep out anyone under the age of majority!” Karkaroff complained.

 

“No one is to blame here but Potter, Igor.” Snape said. “Dumbledore is not at fault for Potter wanting to break rules, he has been doing so since his first year.”

 

“That’s enough Severus.” Dumbledore said and Snape stayed quiet. “And Madame Maxime, I do believe Harry when he said that he did not put his name in the cup, or ask an older student to submit his name for him.

 

“Mr. Crouch, Mr. Bagman, you are our objective judges.” Karkaroff said to the two Ministry officials. “You agree that this is most irregular?”

 

“Indeed, Mr. Karkaroff. Never has this occurred in any of the other tournaments.” Barty Crouch said, making Karkaroff smile. “But the Goblet of Fire is a powerful magical artefact; a binding magical contract is created with any person whose name comes out of it. Therefore, Mr. Potter is obligated to participate in the tournament.”

 

”Then you shall allow Madame Maxime and I to resubmit the names of my students.” Karkaroff demanded. “Ve shall add more names until we all have two champions. It is only fair, Dumbledore”

 

“It doesn’t work like that.” Bagman said. “The Goblet’s flame has gone out, and will be out until the next Triwizard tournament.”

 

“In vich, you can be assured that Durmstrang will not compete in!” Karkaroff stated angrily. “I expected little of something like this to happen. I have half a  mind to leave right now!”

 

“Empty threat, Karkaroff.” Moody said and all eyes turned to him. “You can’t leave your champion now. He’s obligated to compete, as Barty said. Binding magical contract. Convenient, eh?”

 

“I don’t understand your meaning, Moody.” Karkaroff said, his voice seeming to lose some of its conviction.

 

“It’s very simple; someone knowingly put Potter’s name into the Goblet for some reason.” Moody clarified.

 

“It eez obvious, no?” Madame Maxime said. “What elz but to give ‘Ogwarts two bites at ze apple!”

 

“If anyone has a right to complain, it’s Mr. Potter.” McGonagall announced.

 

“Why should ‘e?” Fleur asked. “E ‘as ze chance to compete. We ‘ave all been ‘oping to be chosen for weeks and weeks! Ze honour for our schools! Zis is a chance many would die for!”

 

“Maybe someone’s hoping Potter _is_ going to die for it.” Moody said and this was followed by an extremely tense silence.

 

“Moody, what are you saying?” Bagman asked quite nervously.

 

“Vell, ve all know that it has become somewhat of a pastime for Professor Moody to imagine several scenarios in which he is killed.” Karkaroff stated. “Now, he is teaching his students to do the same.”

 

“Imagining things, eh?” Moody growled. “Only a skilled witch or wizard would’ve been able to put the boy’s name into the Goblet.”

 

“And what evidence is zere of zat?” Madame Maxime asked.

 

:”Because, my dear lady, the Goblet of Fire is a powerful magical artefact, as Barty stated.” Moody explained. “Only an extremely powerful Confundus Charm could have hoodwinked it into forgetting only three schools should be competing. I’m guessing that they submitted Potter’s name under a fourth school, to make sure he was the only one in his category.”

 

“You certainly seem to have given this some thought, Moody.” Karkaroff stated.

 

“It was once my job to think as Dark wizards do, Karkaroff.” Moody returned. “Or have you forgotten?”

 

“Alastor!” Dumbledore said warningly. Like Snape, Moody kept quiet, but Karkaroff looked livid. “How this situation arose, we do not know. However, as Barty explained the rules, we have no choice but to accept it.”

 

Madame Maxime tried to protest and Dumbledore asked if she had an alternative. The headmistress did not speak, and only glared. Ludo then asked Barty to give out the instructions. To Harry, Mr. Crouch was the only who seemed to be one of the three people, the other being Dumbledore and Cedric, who wasn’t angry, but Harry did think he looked a little ill.

 

“The first task is designed to test your daring.” He told the champions. “So we are not telling you what it is. Courage in the face of the unknown is an important quality for any wizard or witch. The first task will take place on the twenty-fourth of November, in front of the other students and the panel of judges. You are not permitted to ask for or accept any help of any kind from your teachers to complete the tasks of the tournament. You will all face the first challenge with only your wands, and will receive information on the second task once the first is over. Considering how time-consuming the tournament is, the champions are exempted from their end-of-year tests. I believe that’s all, Albus.”

 

Dumbledore nodded and offered a drink to Barty, who politely refused, saying that it was a busy time in the Ministry. He then offered a drink to Madame Maxime and Karkaroff, but Madame Maxime already had her arm around Fleur, the two of them speaking in rapid French while heading for the door, while Igor and Viktor walked side by side in a tense silence.

 

“I suggest the two of you get some rest.” Dumbledore said to Harry and Cedric before leaving with Professors McGongall and Snape.

 

Harry and Cedric stood in the trophy room for a while before walking silently out to the Great Hall.

 

“So, we’re competing against each other again, eh?” Cedric joked when they were halfway into the Hall.

 

“Ced, please, not now.” Harry said with a sigh and sat on a bench, covering his face in his hands.

 

“Hey, it’s alright.” Cedric said as he sat and hugged Harry.

 

“I was just hoping for a quiet year, where my biggest worries were grades, dates, what gifts to get you, and hoping you’d get out of the tournament uninjured.” Harry said, burying his face into Cedric’s chest. “I hope they catch whoever wants me to get killed.

 

“You believe Moody?” Cedric asked.

 

“You heard him in there.” Harry said. “Why else would anyone go through all that trouble?”

 

“Listen, you’re going to make it through this tournament alive, we both are.” Cedric said as he cupped Harry’s cheek. “And once I win, I’ll use some of the money for a vacation for the both of us.”

 

“Not unless I win.” Harry replied with a small smile.

 

The couple then shared a short, but tender kiss before standing and walking towards the staircase hand in hand.

 

“So, what would you do with the winnings?” Cedric asked

 

“Save it for that apartment we want to buy.” Harry answered.

 

“Well, why not we both start saving for a house?” Cedric asked. “Even though I think having an apartment in London would be great, I’d rather have a house; more privacy, rooms, and it’s better for a family.”

 

“I agree with all of that. So when do you want to start?” Harry asked with a smile.

 

“How about now?” Cedric asked.

 

The brunette then brought out a piece of parchment and transfigured it into a small coin pouch.

 

“Don’t worry, the pouch will expand as we add more money into it.” Cedric explained and Harry nodded. “So, each week we’ll each add a minimum of five galleons. We then have a choice to add more, should we want to.”

 

“Alright, I agree to that, but one change.” Harry said. “Instead of the money we put in here just being for the house, we can use it for anything we both want.”

 

Cedric nodded in agreement and cast a charm on it that allowed only Cedric and Harry to summon and open it. They shared another short kiss before heading to their respective common rooms.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

“Hermione, I’m not going to wait for Ron to grow up.” Harry said. “I’ve got the tournament to worry about, not to mention my grades.”

 

Ron was jealous that Harry had been chosen, and was angry that his friend did not tell him how he got his name into the Goblet. Harry tried to explain, but Ron wouldn’t listen, so the two have been avoiding each other like the plague. Hermione tried to get them to make peace, but her explanation only made Harry see how immature the redhead was.

 

“If he’s going to apologise, so be it.” Harry stated. “But something has got to change if we’re going to be friends again.”

 

“Fine, let’s change topic.” How did Cedric react when Dumbledore allowed…sorry, said that you had to compete?”

 

“He was worried, obviously.” Harry said. “I think even Dumbledore is worried about my name coming out of the Goblet.”

 

“Of course he is, Harry.” Hermione said. “This has never happened before. The fact that it happened this year, and it was your name that came out, it’s extremely unlikely that it was all a coincidence.”

 

“Yeah, but something did come out of it.” Harry said with a small smile. “Ced and I talked about what we would do with the money if we won. I told him I wanted to save it for an apartment, then he suggested we start saving for a house. He made this pouch for where we would put our money and I suggested that we use the money not just for a house, but for everything we both want.”

 

“That’s wonderful Harry.” Hermione said with a smile. “But you know that you could buy a house and still have money left for the next four generations if you used the money in your vault, right?”

 

“I know, but this is not about the cost.” Harry said. “’Mione, the money in that pouch isn’t my money, it isn’t Ced’s money, it’s _our_ money. I know it’s cheesy, but it was one of the happiest moments in my life.”

 

“It’s very cheesy, but I understand.” Hermione said as he hugged her friend. “I’m really happy for you guys.”

 

“Thanks, ‘Mione.” Harry said. “Shall we return to our Charms essay?”

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

It was lunch time and Draco was seated with Astoria, Blaise, Daphne, and Pansy. While Blaise read his Transfiguration book, the girls were discussing some dress nonsense, so Draco drowned out their conversation as he ate his lunch. He then let his eyes wander down the table, stopping to stare at Joseph who was, once again, seated with a group of Durmstrang students and Viktor. Draco’s grip on his fork tightened when saw Viktor lean closer to Joseph, whispering something that made the taller Slytherin smile.

 

“Draco, are you listening?” Pansy called.

 

“What?” Draco asked.   


“Astoria was asking your opinion on the bracelet she received from her mother.” Pansy said as she rolled her eyes. Daphne chuckled while her younger sister held out her hand to Draco, showing him the silver band that was studded with several emeralds.

 

“Oh, it’s very pretty.” Draco said. “Excuse me, I need to discuss my Charms essay with Joseph.”

 

“You said you were done with it.” Blaise pointed out.

 

“Yes, but it doesn’t hurt to be sure.” Draco replied before walking towards the raven.

 

“Ah Draco, come join us.” Viktor greeted. “Joseph vos just telling us about your vizard prison…Azkaban.”

 

“There’s not much to tell.” Joseph said, not looking at Draco. “It’s in the middle of an ocean, the prisoners’ wands are taken away and those who can do wandless magic are placed in specific cells. You can’t apparate there and the only working floo system is connected to the auror office, in the event that the prison needs reinforcements. But the most effective thing the prison has is their guards; the dementors.”

 

“I’ve heard of them, and also heard that they vere here last year because someone escaped.” One of the Durmstrang students said, and Joseph and Draco nodded in confirmation.

 

“They drain every happy emotion from you just with their presence. Seeing as how the prisoners have prolonged exposure to them, they lose any will to escape.” Joseph said before letting out a shaky breath. “My only encounter with one was when it passed by our compartment while searching the train for Sirius Black, and that alone was able to make me feel like I’d never be happy again.”

 

The other students nodded grimly. Draco remembered feeling the same thing, but he could only feel anger as he saw Viktor’s hand wrap around Joseph’s.

 

“Moving onto a less depressing topic.” Draco announced. “Have you finished our Charms essay?”

 

“You know I have.” Joseph replied, still not looking at the blonde.

 

“Could you look over mine for mistakes?” Draco asked, making the taller Slytherin stretch out his hand to him.

 

“I’ll look over it and leave some notes for any mistakes I find.” Joseph said and Draco handed him his essay. “Viktor and I are going to spend my free period together.”

 

“Yes, he’s asked me to tell him about some spells ve have learned in Durmstrang.” Viktor explained. “You’re friend is the ideal student.”

 

One of the other Durmstrang students said something in Bulgarian, making some of his schoolmates laugh. Draco didn’t know what he’d said, but figured it was supposed to be an insult when his friend replied, in Bulgarian no less, making the student red in the face and his every one of his schoolmates that heard laugh at him.

 

“I’ll see you later, Viktor.” Joseph said before gathering his things and heading to his next class. Draco returned to his original group, got his stuff, and headed to his class with his other friends.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Harry sighed as he walked through the halls, nearly every single student the wasn’t in Gryffindor obviously showing the new badge that said ‘ _Potter Stinks,’_ before turning into _‘Support Cedric Diggory, the real Hogwarts champion.’_  He’d thought, by now, he would’ve gotten used to the school hating or ignoring him. It didn’t help that his friends weren’t there to support, with Ron being a petty arse and Hermione, dividing her time between them. Harry was in such a bad mood, he didn’t even put on his necklace so he could be alone with his thoughts He was about to turn at a corner when he heard shouting.

 

“What do you mean you think Potter has a better chance at winning?!” Someone yelled. Harry peered into the next corridor too see three Ravenclaws surrounding a first year from Hufflepuff, who was looking down.

 

“Well…d-d-does have…experience with…dangerous…s-s-situations.” The first year stuttered. Harry was filled with anger. He was fine with the rest of the school hating or ignoring him for something he didn’t do just because of who he was, but he wasn’t fine with people bullying others to have the same beliefs and ideals as them.

 

“I think we should _convince_ you that Cedric is the better champion.” One of the Ravenclaws stated. Harry was about to rush into the corridor with his wand drawn, when a familiar voice stopped him.

 

“You will do no such thing.” Someone said and everyone turned to the voice and the sound of approaching footsteps.

 

“Duskgem.” The Ravenclaw who looked to be the biggest sneered. “Why don’t you go stick your head into a cauldron?”

 

“If given the choice between that or talking to you for five minutes Barrington, I’d choose sticking my head into a cauldron every single time.” Joseph returned, his face as calm as it always was. “I swear, you lower the collective intelligence of your house with every word you speak.”

 

“Then bugger off! This has nothing to do with you.” The Ravenclaw on Barrington’s right yelled.

 

“Actually, this does concern me, Miles. Being a member of the intelligent half of society, I have an obligation to make sure dumb ideas and foolish beliefs should not be allowed to spread.” Joseph replied as he stepped closer to the three. “You’re trying to impose your opinion on this young man here, when he already has own. Of course, I have nothing against Cedric, he is a fine and well-qualified champion. I’m not the kind of person who disregards a person’s strengths because of petty reasons. Like you Barrington; I think the Sorting Hat should’ve sent you to wherever Filch went to study, but I recognize that you’ll eventually have a sterling career in building maintenance.”

 

“So what, you’re going to stop us?” Barrington asked, seething with rage and ignoring the Hufflepuff when he snorted. “There’s three of us and only one of you.”

 

“I hope that didn’t put too much of a strain on your brain.” Joseph said. “But I can easily take you three on.”

 

Harry was ready to jump in, but he saw Joseph look directly at him and shook his head slightly, and Harry nodded. Barrington quickly reached into his robe and brought out his wand.

 

”Expelliarmus.” Joseph casted and Barrington wand flew out of his hand and into the Slytherin’s.

 

Miles and the other Ravenclaw shot jinxes at Joseph, who casted a spell the created some sort of barrier and blocked them. With a wave of his wand, the tie around Miles’s neck turned into a snake, hissing at the Ravenclaw threateningly, and with another, the robes of the other Ravenclaw turned into a straitjacket.

 

“Now, I will return to you your wand, and undo the charms on your friends.” Joseph said calmly while still pointing his wand at Barrington. “You three will then leave quietly and not bother this young man, or anyone else. If you do, and you can be sure I’ll hear about it, I will cast a spell that will stick the three of you together until the end of the school year.”

 

After a few seconds of silence between Joseph and Barrington, and helpless whimpers from the two other Ravenclaws, Joseph threw Barrington’s wand back to him and returned the other Ravenclaw’s clothes back to normal. The three of them quickly walked past the Slytherin, muttering insults, but doing nothing else. Joseph then approached the first year from Hufflepuff, kneeling to be on level and his expression softening as he asked after him. Harry approached and the two other students turned to him.

 

“Harry, this is Nigel Sinclair, muggle-born, first year, Hufflepuff, and one of the few people in his house to think you’re a better champion than Cedric and voice his opinion.” Joseph said.

 

“I heard you try to justify yourself. That was very admirable, considering you were alone.” Harry said and smiled at the Hufflepuff, who gave a small smile in return.

 

“I mean when you look at it, Cedric’s only learned things within the safety of a classroom. You’ve actually faced danger head on.” Nigel said excitedly, then his smile fell.

 

“You’re worried Barrington will come back, or tell others who’ll treat you the same way they did?” Joseph asked and Nigel nodded. “Listen Nigel, you should never apologise for or think it’s wrong that you have a different opinion, especially when it regards something a lot of people agree on. It’s people like you who keep society grounded.:

 

“Joseph’s right, Nigel.” Harry chimed in. “Blind loyalty is never a good thing. You know who had others blindly follow them? You-Know-Who and, for a muggle example, Hitler.”

 

“But, not all of them were blindly following.” Joseph said. “Some people followed out of fear for their safety, and eventually tried in helping taking them down.”

 

“Thank you.” Nigel said, his smile back on his face. “But, I’m still a little worried.”

 

“I think majority of your classes is with the Ravenclaws, yes?” Joseph asked and Nigel nodded. “Speak to Richards and Higgins; I’m sure you’ll all become good friends. And talk to Keaton, the fifth-year prefect of your house, he’s a good friend, and he and his friends will keep an eye out for you.”

 

Nigel nodded, thanking the two older students before running off.

 

“That was a nice thing you did back there.” Harry said as he and Joseph walked down the corridor.

 

“Well, one reason was to protect Nigel.” Joseph said before smirking. “The other is that I love annoying Barrington.”

 

“I’m a little surprised that you did that. Based on your personality, I had assumed you didn’t do those kinds of things unless they were your friends.” Harry said.

 

“You’d be surprised how close Slytherin and Hufflepuff students are.” Joseph replied and Harry looked at him inquiringly. “Think about it like the houses being siblings, with Slytherin as the older one. They’ll fight, and they’ll make fun of each other, but when someone else threatens the well-being of a Hufflepuff, you can be sure that the first one to jump to their defence will be from Slytherin.”

 

“Well, then our little group of you, me, Ced, Cho, and Hermione, Dumbledore would be proud of us achieving school unity.” Harry smiled.

 

“Speaking of which, how are you doing?” Joseph asked. “With the whole ‘competing in a death tournament’ thing?”

 

“Exhausting” Harry sighed. “It’s not enough that three-fourths of the school hate me, Ron does too because he thinks I purposely put my name in the cup and he’s jealous.”

 

“I always questioned as to why you were friends with him in the first place.” Joseph admitted. “But you don’t need to worry about the tournament. You have friends and a loving boyfriend who’ll support and help you through this. And if you and Ron don’t become friends, then good riddance. You don’t need someone as immature as him in your life.”

 

“So, about those spells you used.” Harry inquired, trying to change topic.

 

“Viktor showed them to me earlier this afternoon.” Joseph replied. “He even taught me the incantations in Bulgarian. I already knew some basic phrases, so it was a easy.”

 

“Speaking of which…has something happened between you and Draco?” Harry asked and Joseph’s mouth turned to a thin line. “Or do you not want to talk about it yet?”

 

“No it’s fine, I’ll have to talk about it some time.” Joseph said with a sigh. “Since he was a baby, Draco’s parents had arranged his marriage with Astoria Greengrass in the interest of preserving their pure-blood line.”

 

“What is it with this pure-blood mania?” Harry asked exasperated.

 

“As with all controversies, there is a humble start to it, but it has been blown out of proportion by the public.” Joseph explained. “It started with the theory that if magical folk had a child with non-magical folk, the potency of that child’s magic will be weakened. This was then blown out of proportion when an alarming rate of children from several married couples, where on half was a witch or wizard and their partner was a muggle, turned out to be squibs around the time before Hogwarts was founded.”

 

“Really? Well, at least there was a sound reason back then.” Harry said.

 

“You should know that nowadays, there are no findings of magic lessening because of who a person’s parents are. Look at Hermione.” Joseph stated. “Look at you; you’re a half-blood and you’re probably the most powerful wizard in our generation.”

 

“I’’m not sure about that, but thank you.” Harry said with a smile. “Now, what happened?”

 

Joseph then recounted the events of the night when the Goblet of Fire was revealed; how Draco assumed he was thinking that the blonde was imagining his married life to Astoria, and thought how he was ignoring him on purpose when Viktor arrived, the conversation he had with Viktor, how the Bulgarian kissed him, how Draco saw and assumed he was finished with their relationship, immediately pursuing a relationship with Astoria, and the last conversation they had, which officially ended their relationship.

 

“I’m sorry.” Harry said. “When we saw you and Viktor, I had assumed you and Malfoy had already broken up, and thought how he’d be better for you. I know how much you loved him.”

 

“The key word in that sentence being ‘loved.’” Joseph stated. “I no longer do.”

 

“Well, forgive me if I don’t believe you.” Harry said. “Listen, if you want a relationship with Viktor, go ahead, but think it through first. A wise friend of mine once said ‘you should never get into a relationship half-assed. It’s not fair to you, and most especially, to the person you’re with.’”

 

And with that, Harry left the Slytherin standing in the middle of an empty corridor.


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> S.P.E.W., dragons, and penis jokes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! Longest one yet, with a little over 7,000 words.

**Chapter 23: A Daunting Task**

Harry was having the worst day of his life, worse than the time everyone thought he was the Heir of Slytherin. At least he had his friends sticking up for him at the time. Now, his best friend has joined the school in hating him while one of the few students that believes him is trying to get Ron to talk to Harry. Not even all of Gryffindor were supporting him, some because of jealousy and the others thinking that someone else was more deserving. He expected nothing less than insults from the Slytherins and understood that Hufflepuff had its own champion to cheer for. He had hoped Ravenclaw would've been more objective to the situation, but he was proven wrong when majority of them sported the same pin the Slytherins and Hufflepuff was wearing. He sighed and took comfort that at least one student in each house and all but one professor believed him. Snape was about to start their lesson when there was a knock on the door.

 

"What?" Snape asked when he opened the door.

 

"Excuse me sir, but I was asked to take Harry Potter upstairs." Colin Creevey said nervously under the gaze of the Potions Master.

 

"Mr. Potter still has an hour of Potions to complete." Snape said. "He will head upstairs when he is finished."

 

"Please sir, Mr. Bagman's asked for him." Colin said. "All the champions are being called, for photographs..."

 

"Very well." Snape said. "Potter, you will return after you've finished, and I expect you to be able to produce a proper antidote."

 

"Sir, he's being asked to take his things since they don't know how long they'll take." Colin said.

 

"Fine!" Snape snapped before glaring at Harry. "Potter, take your things and get out of my sight."

 

Harry obliged without question. After a short walk and some encouraging words from Colin, Harry arrived in a room where Cedric, Fleur, Viktor, Mr. Bagman, a photographer and a woman with blonde hair, a pale complexion, a green dress and a strange pair of glasses were waiting. He shot a small smile at Cedric, who did the same, before he was greeted by Ludo.

 

"Harry Potter." The woman with the weird glasses greeted as she stepped forward. "Rita Skeeter for the Daily Prophet. A pleasure."

 

After exchanging quick introductions, Harry moved to the wall Cedric was leaning on.

 

"What're we doing here?" Harry asked.

 

"Photographs." Cedric replied. "But Skeeter's here for a _story_." Cedric said the last word with a hint of disgust, making Harry look at him. "Harry, she's the one who wrote the article about how the Ministry screwed up at the World Cup and about the attack on Moody before he came to Hogwarts. She takes all the negative things about something and blows them out of proportion. That's how she sells papers; with lies and controversy. Never give her an interview."

 

Harry nodded and watched as Ludo and Rita talked, the former Wasp looking rather conflicted.

 

"Come now Ludo, just one quick word with Harry." Rita said in an obviously fake sweet tone. "Just to add a little colour. The Wizarding community has a right to know how the youngest champion is coping, right?"

 

"Well, I suppose a few minutes will be alright, since Dumbledore's not here yet." Ludo said.

 

Skeeter smiled and walked towards Harry.

 

"Come Harry, I'm sure there are people out there that want to know you're alright." Skeeter said.

 

"Well, you can write that I am." Harry replied. "Besides, Professor Dumbledore will be arriving in any second."

 

Skeeter insisted and Cedric looked like he was going to hex her, and Harry had no doubt he would have if Dumbledore didn't arrive at that second.

 

"Dumbledore, how are you?" Rita greeted. "I hope you saw my article on the International Confederation of Wizards' Conference."

 

"Enchantingly nasty." Dumbledore replied. "I most particularly enjoyed the part where you referred to me as an 'obsolete dingbat. But we can discuss your article later, Rita. For now, misters Diggory and Potter are needed."

 

Dumbledore beckoned his two students to follow him and Harry saw Mr. Ollivander, the wand-maker.

 

"Now one reason you're here is because of the pictures. The other is for the wand-weighing." Ludo announced and Harry looked confused. "Since you'll only be allowed your wands in the first task, it's important for us to see that they're in perfect working condition. And we have Mr. Garrick Ollivander, the finest wand-maker Britain has ever seen.

 

Ludo then took a seat with his fellow judges and the champions sat together, with Harry sitting in between Cedric and Fleur. Mr. Ollivander called Fleur and Harry watched as Mr. Ollivander inspected Fleur's wand and called out its properties.

 

"Oh my." The old wand-maker said with a surprised look. "I believe the core is veela hair."

 

"Oui." Fleur confirmed with a nod. "One of my grandmuzzer's."

 

"I never use veela hair, personally. I find that it makes wands too temperamental." Mr. Ollivander admitted. "But to each their own."

 

After a few more minutes of inspecting, Mr. Ollivander made a bouquet of flowers pop out of the tip of Fleur's wand and declared himself satisfied. Once Fleur sat down, he called Cedric, and smiled familiarly when Cedric handed over his wand.

 

"Ah yes, this is one of mine." He said as he was handed the long wand. "Twelve and a quarter inches…ash wood…Its core is a hair from a very fine male unicorn; took several handlers to keep steady and nearly ran me through with its horn. I see that you are tending to it regularly."

 

"Just polished it last night." Cedric said with a cheeky smile, before turning to Harry and winking, making the younger teen blush.

 

Harry then looked at his own wand and saw it covered in fingerprints. He grabbed a fistful of his robes and roughly wiped the wooden appendage, making a few sparks fly out of the tip. Fleur looked down at him and sneered, and Harry stopped.

 

Mr. Ollivander then used Cedric's wand to make silver, smokey rings, and the wand-maker happily handed it back.

 

He then called Viktor, who presented his wand, and Harry saw that it was much thicker than his or Cedric's. Mr. Ollivander mentioned a foreign name, the maker of Viktor's wand, inspecting it a little more before making birds come out of the tip. Once he handed Viktor his wand, he called Harry.

 

"Ah yes." Mr. Ollivander said as Harry handed his own wand. "Yes, yes, yes. How well I remember."

 

And Harry remembers the day he got his wand as well; he had tried several wands before Mr. Ollivander gave him his current one, and said that it was curious that the wand chose him. Only when Harry asked what was so curious that he learned that the phoenix that gave the feather for the core of Harry's wand gave only one other, and the wand it was contained in was Lord Voldemort's.

 

He never told anyone of this and was afraid Mr. Ollivander would reveal the information, dreading what Skeeter would do with the information. But the wand-maker did not do so. He did nothing different with Harry's wand, except examine it longer than the others', before making a fountain of wine shoot from the tip and declaring it was still in perfect working condition.

 

"That concludes the wand-weighing." Dumbledore said. "Why don't you all head to dinner? No point in returning to you classes since they will soon be over."

 

"Photos, Dumbledore." Bagman said. "A group photo, Ms. Skeeter?"

 

"Yes, and then some portraits." Skeeter said.

 

The first take was the group photo. It took longer than anything else since Madame Maxime's shadow covered everyone wherever she stood and the photographer had not enough space to move back to capture her in the frame. Eventually, she sat while everyone stood around her. Fleur was the obvious person to put in front with her headmistress, but Skeeter kept pulling Harry towards the front to greater prominence. Krum skulked in the back, which was weird since Harry thought he'd be used to this by now, while Karkaroff stood next to him, twirling his beard to give it a curl. Dumbledore stood on the other side of Madame Maxime, behind Harry and Cedric, who stood side by side. Barty Crouch, who looked as sick as ever, and Ludo Bagman, stood at each side.

 

After the group photo, they took individual portraits.

 

"How about another one?" Rita suggested. "And let's make the background each of their respective schools."

 

They all agreed and Fleur was first. When the picture was developed, it showed Fleur, but behind her was a lush greebpn garden filled with different flowers and a large, beautiful building. Viktor was next and his photo showed him and a nearly dark corridor, lit braziers hanging from the walls.

 

"Alright, lets shoot Cedric first, and can we have the Hufflepuff banner flowing behind him?" Rita suggested.

 

"Hold on, we already have individual portraits." Harry pointed out. "You're shooting the school's representatives. Cedric and I may he from different houses, but we're both students of Hogwarts."

 

"Harry is quite right, Rita." Dumbledore said, preemptively cutting off Rita's sentence. "Besides, dinner will be starting soon and the champions should be well-fed."

 

Skeeter conceded and Dumbledore winked at his two students before moving out of the way. When the picture was taken, it showed Harry snd Cedric standing side by side in the Great Hall, the banner with the Hogwarts Crest hanging above all four house tables.

 

The photographer gave the champions a copy of each of the photos and they all headed to the Great Hall. Viktor and Fleur walked ahead of Harry and Cedric, which he was glad since he wanted to talk to Cedric.

 

"How are you doing?" Cedric asked and Harry sighed. "That bad, huh?"

 

"Ron's not talking to me, Hermione's trying to make him see reason, majority of the school thinks I either got to enter my name by getting pass Dumbledore, the most powerful wizard of his and our age, or that he was in on it." Harry began. "Sirius is coming back, risking getting caught because I complained that my scar hurt, and we're both in a death tournament, with no idea of what we're facing for our first task and only equipped with our wands and the spells we learned so far." Harry paused to take breath. "All things considered, I'm doing pretty well."

 

Cedric took Harry's hand and brought the, into and empty classroom.

 

"A prefect's the last person I'd expect to have fantasy's about doing it in a classroom." Harry joked.

 

But Cedric knew Harry was doing it in an effort to quell the fear he was feeling. So he pulled the younger teen close and hugged him tightly. Harry hugged back and buried his face in Cedric's chest. As they hugged, Cedric whispered reassurances that they'll be alright. After a while, Harry looked up and place a short kiss on Cedric's cheek.

 

"Thanks." Harry said as he rested his head on Cedric's chest again.

 

"No problem, and we are going to make it out of this." Cedric said.

 

"Promise?" Harry knew Cedric was being honest, but still asked to get some sort of comfort.

 

"Harry Potter, as long as I live, I'll do all I can to keep you safe." Cedric said, making Harry smile and kissed him.

 

"Well, at least with these photos, I can make use of Joseph's gift." Harry said as he brought out the golden pocket watch that his Slytherin friend got him for Christmas the year before. "Now the hard part is deciding witch photo to put in here."

 

Harry was only choosing between the picture of him and Cedric together, and the photo of Cedric's individual portrait, which he made a copy of to give to Harry. He eventually decided to use the photo of just Cedric and said he'd add the photo of them to the album. They then walked hand in hand until they reached the entrance to the Great Hall, where they said quick goodbyes before heading to their respective tables.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

"So, this Skeeter voman, she's not good at vot she does?" Viktor asked during dinner.

 

"She's very good at what she does, but what she does is not journalism." Joseph replied. "She's the kind of person real journalists would hang in a public square, if they were given the chance."

 

Every Slytherin that heard him nodded their heads in agreement. Draco sat on his other side, while Viktor was on the other. The taller Slytherin had returned to eating with his housemates. He and Draco talked again, but only about schoolwork.

 

"Any luck with figuring out what the first task will be?" Joseph asked and Viktor sighed. "No luck, so far?"

 

"They said that ve are supposed to show courage in the face of unknown challenges." Viktor replied. "That could be any of a hundred different things."

 

Viktor looked stressed and Joseph look worried. Draco was about to offer some words of encouragement when an owl landed in front of him with a letter. The way his name was written helped Draco identify that the letter was from his father.

 

_Draco,_

_I am pleased to hear that you've taken your engagement to Astoria seriously, even more so that I heard it from her parents. I'm assuming you'll be taking her to the Yule Ball. If so, send us word; we want you two to look like a proper pure-blood couple._

_Your father,_

_Lucius Malfoy_

 

Draco sighed when he finished reading it. He was about to throw it into the fireplace closest to him, when it was snatched out of his hand.

 

"Give it back, Zabini." Draco growled.

 

"I think not, Draco." Blaise replied with a playful smile. "The only reason for you receiving a letter at this time is if it's extremely important. Maybe it has something to do with the tournament."

 

Now everyone seemed interested in the letter. Draco tried to grab the letter, but Blaise easily ducked out of the way.

 

"Oh my. It is important, but it's not about the tournament. Well, not completely." Blaise said, his grin widening.

 

"Return it or I will hex you." Draco threatened, still trying to catch Blaise.

 

He eventually caught his housemate, but they both tripped and Blaise lost his hold of the letter. When Draco got up, the letter was somewhere worse than Blaise's hands; it was on Joseph's plate. The raven stared at it for a few seconds before picking it up and handing it to Draco.

 

"Aren't you going to finish your dinner?" Viktor asked.

 

"I've lost my appetite." Joseph replied. "It's hard not to when the people seated next to you don't know how to act their age."

 

Draco muttered a quiet apology while Blaise smiled proudly.

 

"Are you going to the library?" Viktor whispered, intending for only Joseph to heat, but Draco did as well.

 

"Yes, I'm going to look for some spells that may help you." Joseph replied before gathering his things.

 

"Can I ask you for a favour?" Viktor asked Draco as soon as Joseph was out of the Great Hall.

 

"What is it?" Draco asked.

 

"Can you check on him? See if he's alright?" Viktor asked.

 

"Why me?" Draco asked.

 

"Vell, from vot I've heard, you two have been friends since childhood." Viktor replied. "He's bound to trust you more than anyone else."

 

"I understand." Draco said as he sighed. "But things are tense between us, right now."

 

"Were you..." Viktor began before moving closer to Draco and lowering his voice to a whisper. "Were you the one Joseph vos vid before me?" Draco stared at his plate blankly for a few seconds before nodding. "I apologise if I had cause your relationship to end."

 

"It's fine, we were bound to break up. Our relationship was on the rocks before you came." Draco said, ignoring the thought that said it was his fault.

 

"Vell, I vouldn't vant to put you in an awkward position." Viktor said, and Draco shook his head.

 

"It's fine, I'll check on him." Draco said. "I mean, he is still my friend."

 

Viktor thanked him before conversing with his schoolmates and Draco began thinking how he could engage his friend in a conversation, while casting a Stinging hex on Blaise's legs underneath the table.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Harry had thought that his situation couldn't get worse. Well, he was proven wrong when he saw Skeeter's article published the next day. It was all about him, Fleur and Viktor were only mentioned towards the end, Cedric wasn't mentioned at all and even without talking to Harry except for greeting each other, she had an entire paragraph about how his inspiration was his parents and how he cried every night thinking about them. Worse of all was she dragged Hermione into her article, causing her to get some grief, especially from the Slytherins.

 

"Just ignore them, Harry." Hermione said as they walked to Care for Magical Creatures. "You and I know everything that she writes is pure and utter tripe."

 

"I know, but it doesn't help that people read and believe it." Harry sighed.

 

Harry had hoped that Ron telling him about their detention with Snape that night and that he had received a letter from Sirius last night would be the start to them talking again, but  it wasn't. It even seemed like his attitude worsened after reading Skeeter's article, probably thinking that Harry was loving being in the tournament.

 

"Come on Harry, please talk to him." Hermione insisted.

 

"He started this." Harry said.

 

"You miss him!" Hermione stated.

 

"Of course I do, but someone as immature as that can't be a good influence on me." Harry said.

 

"You're using Joseph's words because if you use your own, you'll admit to missing him." Hermione pointed out. "Yes, he tells me some things."

 

"Then I'll tell you what I told him and Cedric." Harry replied. "I want to be friends with Ron again, but something has got to change about how he acts. I know how hard it is living in someone's shadow, sure it was Dudley's, but it's big enough to count as five people." Hermione gave a small smile. "He should know by now that I never wanted to have a spotlight on me, and I still don't."

 

Hermione nodded and they let the issue rest for now. She then convinced Harry to come with her that Saturday to Hogsmeade. After plenty of insisting pleas, Harry gave in, telling her she'll ask Cedric and probably Cho to come so it won't look like she's alone.

 

Harry walked side by side with Ron in a tense silence, on their way to detention with Snape. They got to the Potions lab and Harry raised an eyebrow to find Joseph there. It looked like he was brewing something. He doubted that he was being tutored by Snape. The Potions Master then placed a box in front of Ron and Harry.

 

"You will be carefully separating these beetles's eyes, wings, shells, and legs." Snape instructed. "Try not to butcher them. If you produce and inadequate amount of acceptable ingredients, you will have another detention tomorrow. And try not to make too much noise."

 

"Sir" Joseph called. "Can you please have Potter do his work in this table? I will need to adjust my potion with beetle shells and having fresh ones will be better."

 

"You heard him, Potter." Snape said as he summoned another box and halved the beetles between the two boxes. "I am holding you accountable if Mr. Duskgem's potion is a failure. It is more likely that you would give him an ingredient of poor quality rather than him making a mistake."

 

Harry bit his tongue and took his box, walking toward the table next to Joseph's workstation. Harry picked one of the beetles up and stared at it with disgust.

 

"It's not that bad." Joseph said and Harry looked at him. "He made Longbottom hand scrub the cauldrons clean, once."

 

"You come here a lot, then?" Harry asked.

 

"Just when I need to." Joseph answered. "And no, I can't tell you what I'm brewing, or what it's for."

 

Harry nodded and picked up his knife, positioning it in different angles before sighing.

 

"It's not that hard, Harry. You'll want to take the eyes out, first." Joseph said and instructed the Gryffindor on how to properly remove the eyes, legs, wings, and shell. The worse was the shell, since at times, Harry would cut too deep, and the beetle's innards would spill out.

 

"Things haven't improved between you and Ron, have they?" Joseph asked and Harry shook his head. "I'm surprised; people usually come together in their mutual hate for Snape."

 

"Well, anything's possible." Harry sighed.

 

"How are you and Cedric doing?" Joseph asked.

 

"We're coping; we're actually meeting Hermione and Cho at the Three Broomsticks this Saturday." Harry replied. "You should come with us."

 

"Don't you think that would be a strange sight? The two Hogwarts champions, a Gryffindor, a Ravenclaw, and a Slytherin seated together." Joseph asked. "People will talk, speculate, assume. People assuming you and Cedric are dating would be the best case scenario. The worst case is people will think you're working together."

 

"Well, I hadn't thought of that." Harry admitted.

 

"I'll take care of it." Joseph said and Harry looked at him. "Just be there."

 

A few minutes later, Snape inspected Harry and Ron's work.

 

"As expected, you've butchered majority of your beetles, Weasley." Snape said. "Luckily for you, Potter's done an adequate, but messy, job. Who would've thought it?"

 

Harry and Ron washed up before heading to Gryffindor tower in another tense silence.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

"So Joseph will be joining us?" Hermione asked as they walked towards Hogsmeade.

 

"That's what it sounded like." Harry replied from under his invisibility cloak.

 

"Well, I'm sorry that we left for Hogsmeade later than usual, but you've made some progress in your Summoning charms." Hermione praised.

 

"Thanks." Harry said.

 

On their way there, they ran into Hagrid and Professor Moody.

 

"Nice cloak, Potter." Moody said.

 

"Can your eye...er you." Harty began awkwardly.

 

"Yes, it can see through Invisibility Cloaks." Moody confirmed. "Came in handy plenty of times."

 

Just then, Hagrid's face became serious and leaned closer to Hermione.

 

"Harry, come meet me latet tonight, alright? I've got something important to show you." Hagrid said and Harry agreed.

 

Hagrid and Moody then left.

 

"Harry, you could be late for Sirius."

 

"If Hagrid says it's important, then I should go." Harry said and Hermione conceded.

 

They walked into the Three Broomsticks and as soon as Rosmerta spotted Hermione, she beckoned the brunette to come closer.

 

"Go on up." She said. "First door to the right."

 

Hermione nodded and headed to the room. When she opened the door, she and Harry saw Cedric, Cho, and Joseph seated around a table. Once the door was shut Harry removed his cloak and took a seat next to Cedric.

 

"Where the butterbeer?" He asked.

 

"Bad week?" Cedric asked with a smile while Joseph placed a glass of the drink in front of the Gryffindor.

 

"Detention wasn't so bad, thanks to our Slytherin accomplice." Harry replied, leaning onto Cedric.

 

"How goes preparing for the first task?" Cho asked.

 

"We're doing fine." Harry said and Cedric nodded.

 

"Have any idea what it's going to be?" Joseph asked.

 

"No, but..." Harry hesitated. "Hagrid wanted me to meet him tonight, said it was important. Might have something to do with the first task."

 

"And you will share it with us, not just Cedric?" Joseph asked, making Harry look at him. "Our main priority is keeping you two alive, but I have a personal interest in this matter."

 

"Yes, I'll share it with you guys." Harry said. "Thank, also. For looking out for us."

 

"What, did you think we'd leave you to flounder around?" Hermione asked.

 

"And if it weren't for Joseph and I, you two would still just be staring at each other in the Great Hall." Cho said. "Well, you still do that, but you wouldn't be together."

 

"Honestly, I’m surprised the whole school hasn't caught on." Joseph stated.

"Thanks guys." Harry said sarcastically before smiling.

 

“That reminds me.” Hermione said before bringing out a box, making Harry groan. “I hope you’ll all my organisation.”

  
“Spew?” Cho asked confusedly as she looked at the badge that was handed to her.

 

“S.P.E.W.” Hermione corrected. “The Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. Did you know that house-elves are practically slaves?”

 

“Honestly, we don’t have one under our employ, but I don’t think it’s that bad.” Cedric said.

 

“It’s horrible. House-elves are bound to their masters, who are free to do with them as they please. And they can’t do anything to fight back.” Hermione said. “They even hurt themselves as punishment if they even think about speaking ill of their masters. Harry, tell them about Dobby.”

 

Reluctantly, Harry told the three about Dobby, how he came to his relatives’ house, how he tried to stop him from getting to Hogwarts, tried to get him sent home from Hogwarts, and how he saved Harry after he had helped freed him from the Malfoy family. Hermione then told them about Winky.

 

“Just because one family is terrible to their elf doesn’t mean all of them are.” Joseph stated. “And Mr. Crouch had to sack the elf, it was politics. If he kept her in his employ, the Ministry would ask him serious questions.”

 

“So you’re alright with the enslavement of an entire race?” Hermione asked.

 

“It’s not so black and white if you know the history.” Joseph pointed out. “Many people have gotten used to the idea of elves being slaves that they had forgotten about why that came to be. Only a few pure-blood families have texts on why this came to be.”

 

“Would you please enlighten us, then?” Harry asked, half hoping the explanation would get Hermione to stop nagging people into joining.

 

“The short version is that the elves knew they were powerful magical creatures, but they eventually learned that there were even more powerful beings in this vast world.” Joseph began. “That being the case, they had to constantly move around to avoid getting killed. They eventually decided to find someone or something that could protect them, but they weren’t just looking for something powerful; they were looking for something that could fend off about anything else. It took a while, but they eventually came to a village inhabited by wizards and witches. They observed them for a while, watching them fend off things like wolves, salamanders, and redcaps. It was when the wizards and witches defeated a dragon that attacked their village did the elves reveal themselves. They asked for protection in exchange for their services.”

 

“Well, that certainly puts some things to light.” Hermione admitted. “However, that does not excuse abuses against them.”

 

“And I agree, but not all families abuse them.” Joseph argued. “Our house-elves are well-treated; we never give them tasks that are too dangerous, they can have whatever they want to eat, and we’ve ordered them to clean their rags, since they won’t accept anything.”

 

“Smart, since house-elves have to obey every order their masters give them.” Cedric said.

 

“But why didn’t they accept the new things?” Hermione asked.

 

“Because anything they can wear, whether it’s a sock, shoe, or pillowcase, will be considered clothes to them.” Joseph said. “Anyway, the reason they’re so frightened of being set free is that they are afraid of facing enemies more powerful than themselves.”

 

Hermione nodded in understanding and agreed to put the S.P.E.W. talk to rest for the time being. The five of them stayed and chatted for a while before they left separately; first Joseph, then Cedric and Cho, followed by Hermione and Harry, underneath his invisibility cloak.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Draco sighed as he headed for his dorm. He had just escaped from Astoria, who had been talking his ear off about dresses. He was growing very tired of having to hear her talk about something. There were so many things he hated about her; he hated how she would always sit next to him. They weren’t officially a couple yet, but she had no doubt told her parents that, explaining the letter from his father. She kept pointing out things she didn’t like about him, insisting that he change it. Worst of all, she asked where he was when they aren’t together, who he was with, and what they were doing.

 

He walked into the dorm and found his friends on their beds; Blaise was reading through his small, black, journal. No one knew the contents of it, but Blaise seemed proud of it. Crabbe and Goyle were playing Exploding Snap, and Nott was reading on his bed. Joseph was also reading, but not in the same leisurely way Nott was; he was reading a thick book and three others sat around him opened in certain pages. Draco wondered what he was doing it for since there were no tests in the foreseeable future. He then remembered what he had promised Viktor and approached the raven.

 

“Can I help you?” Joseph asked, not looking up from the book he was reading.

 

“I was just wondering if we could talk.” Draco said, spying a piece of parchment that had the word ‘dragons’ written on it.

 

“As you can see, I’m busy.” Joseph said. “But if you insist.”

 

Draco slowly sat on the other end of Joseph’s bed, pulling the curtains shut and casting Silence charms.

 

“Is this going to be about the letter?” Joseph asked. “Draco, I don’t care who you date. That’s your business.”

 

“It’s not about that.” Draco said, although he felt a slight sting in his chest. “I was wondering how you’ve been doing. It’s been a while since we talked to each other about anything but schoolwork.”

 

“I’ve been well.” Joseph answered. “How about you? Are things working out between you and Astoria?”

 

“Things are great.” Draco lied. It was the automatic response he had for that question. “I’m actually thinking of taking her to the Yule Ball.”

 

“Is that your decision or your father’s?” Joseph asked. “Draco, we may not be dating anymore, but I’m still your friend and care about you. Making decisions based on what your father approves of is not a good way to live your life.”

 

“He only wants what’s best for me.” Draco replied.

 

“All parents want the best for their children, but you’re the only person who knows what’s best for you.” Joseph explained as he set down the book he was reading before picking another one up. “You should live the life you want.”

 

“How are things between you and Viktor?” Draco asked.

 

“Other than stressing over the first task, things are going well.” Joseph replied.

 

“Well, I better leave you to your reading.” Draco said.

 

“Draco, I’m glad we talked, and I’m sorry I was being stubborn since we broke up.” Joseph said. “But things worked out; we’re both in happy relationships instead of being in a rocky one. This is better for both of us.”

 

Joseph sounded like he was trying to convince himself, but Draco nodded and agreed. The two bade each other goodnight before Draco headed for his own bed and shut the curtains, trying and failing to ignore the pain in his chest.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Harry walked and spotted Cedric in the Transfiguration courtyard with his friends. Ignoring the other students, Harry headed towards the group of Hufflepuffs.

 

“Can I speak to you?” Harry asked and Cedric nodded, the two of them moving away from the others. “Dragons, they’re making us face dragons in the first task, there’s one for each of us.”

 

“Dragons, are you serious?” Cedric asked in disbelief.

 

“Yes, that’s what Hagrid showed me last night.” Harry explained. “I tried to tell you after I talked to Sirius, but you were already asleep and I was distracted this morning.”

 

“Do Fleur and Krum know?” Cedric asked.

 

“Yes, Hagrid brought along Madame Maxime. I think they were on a date.” Harry said and shuddered, making the brunette chuckle. “And Krum most likely knows, since Karkaroff was there too and I handed Joseph a note when I passed him on the staircase.”

 

“So…dragons.” Cedric said and Harry nodded. “Will you be alright?”

 

“I’ll be fine, I’ve got Hermione to help me.” Harry said with a smile. “Go back to your friends.”

 

“Oh Harry, I’ve asked them not to wear the badges.” Cedric whispered and Harry said it was fine.

 

“Well, well, Potter, how’s the second Hogwarts champion doing?” Draco asked sarcastically.

 

“What do you care Malfoy?” Harry spat.

 

“My father and I have a bet you see.” Draco said. “I bet you wouldn’t last five minutes. My father, well, he thinks you won’t last five seconds.”

 

“I don’t care what your father thinks, Malfoy.” Harry said. “He’s vile and cruel, and you’re just pathetic.”

 

“How dare you?!” Draco said as Harry walked away. “I’ll teach you.”

 

“Oh no you don’t, sonny!” Someone yelled and Harry turned in the nick of time to see Moody turn Draco into a white ferret.

 

“I’ll teach you to hex someone when their back’s turned.” Moody said, levitating Draco up and down, earning laughs from the surrounding students.

 

“Professor Moody!” McGonagall called as she approached. “Professor Moody, what’re you doing?”

 

“Teaching.” Moody replied.

 

“Is that…is that a student?” McGonagall asked with a shocked look.

 

“Technically it’s a ferret.” Moody answered before pulling on Crabbe’s trousers and stuffing Draco into it.

 

“I’ll get him.” Goyle said and stuffed his hand down Crabbe’s pants, before taking it out just as quick.

 

Draco then climbed out of one of Crabbe’s pants leg and McGonagall turned him back.

 

“My father will hear about this.” Malfoy said.

 

“Is that a threat? Is that a threat?!” Moody yelled as he chased Draco. “I can tell you stories about your father that would make even your greasy hair curl, boy!”

 

“Alastor!” McGonagall called as she stepped in front of the former auror, and pointed her wand at him when he would not desist. “We do not use Transfiguration as a punishment. Surely Dumbledore told you this.”

 

“He might’ve mentioned it.” Moody said quietly.

 

McGonagall lowered her wand and dispersed the students. Moody asked Harry to follow him. Harry turned to see Cedric still smiling widely and waved before following the Defence professor.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Draco stared at himself in the mirror. He had just finished bathing for the third time and he was still unsatisfied. After being inside Crabbe’s trousers, he conceded that nothing will ever be enough to make him feel clean again. He was about to re-enter his dorm when he heard Blaise talk to someone.

 

“Where’ve you been?” Blaise asked.

 

“In the library, where else?” Joseph returned.

 

“Well, you’re never going to believe what happened.” Blaise said, no doubt with a smirk, and recounted the events in the Transfiguration courtyard.

 

As Blaise did, Draco considered locking himself inside the bathroom until the end of the school year. Once Blaise finished, his friend said something that made him feel better.

 

“And you guys did nothing?” Joseph asked.

 

“Well, Goyle did shove his hand down Crabbe’s pants.” Blaise said, stifling his chuckle when Joseph glared at him. “But it’s not like we could’ve done anything; Moody’s a professor and we didn’t know any spell to counter it.”

 

“Did you tell Snape?” Joseph asked.

 

“Well no.” Blaise admitted. “But McGonagall took care of it.”  


“She’ll just give Moody a talking to and leave it at that.” Joseph said. “I’m going to tell Snape.”

 

Draco heard a door shut and he felt a little happier as he got dressed.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Harry nervously awaited his turn as Viktor took on his dragon. He would occasionally hear Ludo say something and the crowd gasp, cheer, or scream. The only thing that kept him from cracking at this point was the knowledge that Cedric was safe. There were several screams when he was out there, but it ended with the crowd cheering. He could use some words of encouragement from Cedric, but they both left their necklaces in their trunks, knowing it’d be confiscated. A few minutes later, the crowd erupted into cheers and Bagman announced that Krum had gotten the egg. Harry heard Ludo call his name and that was the last thing he heard as he walked to the enclosure. He could hear Mr. Bagman announcing and the crowd, but he didn’t listen to them, he didn’t care. All that mattered right now was him, that golden egg, and the giant, black, lizard guarding it.

 

“Accio Firebolt.” Harry casted as he raised his wand to the air.

 

At first there was nothing. The crowd looked confused and Harry feared that it had not worked. But then he heard a distinct whistling in the air. He turned and saw his Firebolt racing towards the enclosure. It stopped right next to him. Coming to his senses, Harry mounted the broom and took off. Harry saw that the Horntail didn’t follow him, but was eying him suspiciously with its yellow eyes. Harry then looked at this entire thing as a Quidditch match with the egg being the snitch and the Horntail being the entire enemy team, including bludgers. Strangely enough, this thought made him calmer and he sped towards the dragon.

 

After a flying around a bit and taking a minor blow to the shoulder, Harry deduced that the dragon had no interest in pursuing him, yet. He had to bait it into taking to the air. So he flew around it, close enough to think it’s a threat, but far enough so that it couldn’t reach him with its teeth or tail. He did so for a few minutes and the Horntail took off and chased Harry. Seeing his opening, Harry dove and flew as fast he could towards the nest. Before the Horntail could react, Harry had gotten the egg and the handlers were rushing outside to subdue it.

 

“Can you believe it ladies and gentlemen?” Ludo called. “Harry Potter, the youngest champion, retrieved his egg the fastest.”

 

“Excellent work, Potter.” Professor McGonagall complimented when Harry landed. “You’ll need to see Madame Pomfrey about your shoulder, though.”

 

“Yeh did it, Harry!” Hagrid cheered.

 

“Nice and easy does it, eh Potter?” Moody said with a nod.

 

Harry thanked them all before being shooed to the medical tent by Professor McGongall, where Madame Pomfrey sat him on a bed and begun working on the wound. While being tended to, Madame Pomfrey vented about how the school keeps putting students in serious danger by bringing dangerous creatures to Hogwarts. Harry felt a sting when the medi-witch applied a disinfectant to his shoulder, but felt it instantly heal when she casted a spell on it.

 

“Now sit here and rest for a few minutes before going to get your scores.” Madame Pomfrey ordered, looking sternly at Harry when he tried to stand. “Sit!”

 

Harry obeyed, glad to be able to relax after so long.

 

“It feels fine Madame Pomfrey, I swear.” A familiar voice said in the neighbouring ward.

 

“Well, leave it on for another hour, Diggory.” Pomfrey ordered and a few seconds later, the curtain was pulled back and Cedric walked in, and Harry’s eyes widened at seeing an orange blob covering half his face.

 

“I look that hideous?” Cedric jokingly asked.

 

He then sat next to Harry and they held each other in a tight embrace, letting out sighs of relief. They just hugged for the next few minutes, relishing this moment of peace, glad that both of them weren’t seriously injured.

 

“So what happened to your face?” Harry asked and Cedric chuckled.

 

“I tried distracting the dragon by transfiguring a rock into a dog.” He explained. “It worked for a while, but the dragon changed its mind. I had gotten the egg, but also got burnt. Madame Pomfrey said it wasn’t too bad and I’ll look as good as new once this blob’s off.”

 

Harry smiled and cupped the side of Cedric’s face that wasn’t covered in goop.

 

“I wasn’t able to watch you, since I was being tended to.” Cedric said. “But from what I’ve heard, you were amazing.”

 

“The entire thing was terrifying.” Harry admitted. “But when it was over, seeing everyone cheering, it felt like I hadn’t just faced a dragon at all.”

 

“I know what you mean.” Cedric said before a smile crept onto his face. “So the question is, who’ll get the higher score.”

 

“Obviously me.” Harry said with a smirk. “You got half your faced burned. I only got a wound on my shoulder and it’s not that deep.”

 

“Yes, well my dragon was bigger.” Cedric argued.

 

“Mine was more dangerous.” Harry returned. It wasn’t long before Cedric was straddling Harry’s legs, trying to get the Gryffindor to concede defeat.

 

“Harry what’s taking so long?” Someone called. “They want to give you your..,oh.”

 

Hermione stopped when she opened the curtain and Ron looked at the pair with wide eyes.

  
“Looks like we’ve got some explaining to do.” Harry said, a huge blush on his face.

 

“Cedric and I will explain, just go get your scores.” Hermione said, ignoring the look Ron gave her. “They can each give you a maximum of ten. Good luck.”

 

Nodding, Harry walked out of the tent and onto the platform. He received an eight from Madame Maxime, a nine each from Barty Crouch and Professor Dumbledore, a ten from Ludo Bagman, which he found odd since he got hurt, and a Karkaroff gave him a four, which was outrageous. It wasn’t so bad in the end; he and Cedric survived, completed the first task, he was tied for first with Krum, majority of the school didn’t hate him and were supporting him along with Cedric, he and Ron made up and was no longer hiding his relationship from the redhead, Karkaroff’s plan of getting rid of him with the dragon failed, and the next task wasn’t going to take place until February. Things still weren’t safe, nor were they perfect, but at least they were starting to look up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologise for the late update, but I've gotten extremely busy in the past month. And to be honest, I didn't feel up to writing it the past week. As we all Potterheads know by now, Alan Rickman passed last week on Thursday. When I heard the news, I felt my heart weep, it still does. I don't doubt that it will be a long while before the wounds in our hearts heal.
> 
> But if I may borrow something from Professor Dumbledore, we should remember Alan Rickman. And when we do, we should not focus on how he's gone, but we should celebrate what he has done for the entire world. All those who have worked with him describe him as a kind and generous man. They will tell you stories of how despite being extremely busy himself, they could always ask him for help, and Alan would reply to them within the day. Alan Rickman may be gone, but his legacy will live on forever. Not just in his movies, but in the countless actors and actresses he helped mentor while working with them, and with the lives around the world his works touched.
> 
> Rest in peace, Alan Rickman. There are no words that can sufficiently express the world's gratitude to you, but be it Potter fans, Die Hard fans, Love Actually fans, or anything else, you will be in our hearts and minds, always.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter 24: Time Flies**

A week had passed since the first task and things had gotten better for Harry. Out of all the things that happened, he considered patching up things with Ron best. It had to be if he didn't see any consequence in not paying attention during McGonagall's class. The cold glare she was giving the pair finally caught Harry and Ron's eyes and they quieted down.

 

"Now that Potter and Weasley have decided to act their own age, we can continue." Professor McGonagall said. "The Yule Ball has been a part of the Triwizard tournament since its inception. It is a night where we will be able to interact with our guests in well-mannered frivolity. Now, as members of the host school, I expect you all to put your best foot forward. Quite literally, I might add, because the Yule Ball is, first and foremost, a dance."

 

While there was excited chatter amongst the girls, the boys groaned and complained.

 

"Silence!" Professor McGonagall called. "The house of Godric Gryffindor has commanded the respect of the wizarding world for the past ten centuries. I will not have a single one of you besmirch that name in a single night by acting like a babbling, bumbling band of baboons."

 

"Try saying that five times, really fast." George whispered and his twin attempted to do so.

 

Professor McGonagall then gave some rules and strict warnings before she dismissed the class, but asked to have a word with Harry.

 

"Potter, the champions and their partners." She said and Harry raised an eyebrow.

 

"Can't I go alone?" He asked.

 

"No, it would be quite hard for you to open the ball without a partner to dance with." McGonagall said.

 

"I have to open the ball?" Harry asked. "With a dance?"

 

"It has been so since the first tournament." McGonagall replied.

 

"But professor, I don't dance." Harry admitted.

 

"You can and will." McGonagall said with finality. "Not another word, Potter. I suggest you find a partner first before worrying about the actual dancing."

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

"A dance, can you believe this school?" Ron complained. "I'd rather spend an entire night in detention with Snape."

 

"Well at least you don't have to have a partner and open the ball." Harry sighed.

 

"I thought your choice for a partner was obvious, Harry." Hermione stated and the two boys looked at her. "Why not go to the ball with Cedric?"

 

"Really, you mean...come out to the school?" Harry asked nervously. "To the whole world even?"

 

"I thought you understood that there aren't any prejudices towards gays in our world?" Ron asked.

 

"I do, but...I don't know." Harry said. "I want to go with Cedric. When Professor McGonagall mentioned that the Yule Ball was a dance, I immediately thought of going with him…"

 

"Then go, Harry." Hermione encouraged him. "Along with the book of the history of house-elves, Joseph also lent me some of the news articles about old triwizard champions. Quite a lot of them had partners for the Yule Ball was of the same sex."

 

"I still don't trust him." Ron muttered. "He's one of Malfoy's best mates."

 

"And despite that, he's helped Harry, Cedric, and I, and even befriended us." Hermione said before turning to Harry. "Harry, you should really ask Cedric to go with you."

 

"I agree with 'Mione." Ron said. "If you're worried about the backlash, sure the papers will talk about it for months, but anything negative will probably come from the Slytherins. There've even been rumours that Dumbledore's gay."

 

"There have?" Harry asked surprised.

 

"Yeah, but dad said it must've been started by someone who hates him in the Ministry." Ron answered.

 

"But he's not, right?" Hermione asked.

 

"Well, when it first came up, dad said Dumbledore wasn't too upset about it, and that no one really thought any less of him." Ron said. "Even until now, he hasn't said the rumours were false, but he hasn't denied them either."

 

"Well, if Dumbledore never received any backlash, and he has a lot of enemies, you won't either." Hermione pointed out. "Can you think of any reason, other than what other people will say, not to go with Cedric?"

 

Harry thought about it and he couldn't think of a reason. Why shouldn't he go to the Yule Ball with Cedric? In fact, why not come out right now? They weren't ashamed of anything, and it'll be a big relief not having to hide a part of himself from his friends. Sure there will be the papers, the Slytherins, and Cedric's father, but they'll be able to handle all of that.

 

"Thanks guys." Harry said with a smile. He then asked Cedric to meet him in the library later before he and his friends entered the Charms classroom.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

That evening, Harry sat at the table where he first met Joseph, a little over a year ago. He looked outside the window and smiled as the memories of talking about themselves, what to do about Cedric, and even drinking the potion that made him see some terrifying things came back to him. He realised that the Yule Ball will be the first time he'll see his Slytherin friend _with_ Viktor.

 

"Hey Harry." Cedeic greeted when he came into view. "What do you want to talk about?"

 

"I'm guessing you know that the Yule Ball's a dance?" Harry inquired.

 

"Yup, all the girls squealed with excitement when Professor Sprout told us." Cedric said with a smile. "Cho's even offered to help me prepare on the day of it."

 

"Did Professor Sprout also tell you that the champions will be opening the Ball?" Harry asked and Cedric nodded. "I was thinking that...maybe, we could go together?"

 

"Harry...are you sure?" Cedric asked and held Harry's hand.

 

"Yes, I mean, what have we to hide?" Harry asked. "It's not like we're ashamed."

 

"Not at all, but what about what the others' will say?"

 

"Who cares what they think?"

 

"Skeeter will have a field day."

 

"The Prophet and every other publication will write about who I'm with, no matter who they are. Worst case scenario is that they write about it for nearly a year, and we can deal with the press."

 

Cedric opened his mouth to say something, but immediately shut it, looking nervously at his boyfriend. Harry knew what Cedric was going to say and placed a hand on the brunette's cheek.

 

"We'll also deal with your dad. You won't be alone; I'll be with you when he confronts you about us. Best of all, we'll have your mother on our side." Harry said with a smile. "It's alright if you don't want to, Ced."

 

"Harry, I do want to go with you." Cedric said. "It's just that I was surprised. I know how much you hate being the centre of attention. Revealing our relationship to the world isn't going to help in that regard."

 

"I've given this some thought and look at me; I'll always be in the centre of attention." Harry said. "I might as well be there with someone who can help me get through it."

 

Cedric stared at Harry, his grey eyes locking with the Gryffindor's green ones. He then kissed Harry after a few minutes and hugged him.

 

"So, is that a yes?" Harry asked with a chuckle.

 

"Yes Harry Potter, I will go to the Yule Ball with you." Cedric said with a huge smile and Harry mirrored him.

 

"Great, so now my biggest worry is to not look like an idiot when we dance." Harry stated.

 

"Don't worry, I'll teach you." Cedric said.

 

"Handsome, intelligent, can cook, faced a dragon and survived, and can dance." Harry said with a smile. "Is there anything you can't do?"

 

"Well, despite being a seeker and Quidditch team captain, I didn't think of trying to out-fly and dragon." Cedric said, making Harry chuckle. "And I still don't know what rock cakes are."

 

"You're in my spot." A voice said and the couple turned to see Joseph staring down at them.

 

"Who are you going to the Yule Ball with?" Cedric asked when they had adjusted.

 

"It's obvious he's going with Viktor." Harry said before looking at the Slytherin for confirmation.

 

"We haven't discussed it, but you have to assume so." Joseph said. "I'm guessing you two already have partners."

 

"Yup." Harry replied with a smile. "We're going with each other, in fact."

 

Like Hermione and Ron, Harry expected the taller raven to be glad and excited for them, but he just stared at the couple, looking back and forth at either of them.

 

"Have you both thought this through, completely?" He asked.

 

"Yes and we don't care about what people, the press, or Ced's father's going to say." Harry said.

 

"I didn't mean that." Joseph said. "Cedric, you should've thought about this."

 

"I really don't see any other problem." Cedric said. "If Harry's fine with coming out already, I'm with him."

 

"I'm not talking about coming out, I'm talking about coming out together." Joseph said. "Think; Karkaroff and Madame Maxime were outraged when Harry, another Hogwarts student, became a champion. This has never happened in any other tournament. For it to happen this year is highly suspicious. You two coming out as a couple now would make Karkaroff and Maxime think that Dumbledore planned for this to happen."

 

"But he didn't!" Harry said. "Someone put my name in the goblet hoping I'd get killed."

 

"Yes, but not everyone believes that." Joseph said. "Even Barty Crouch and Bagman don't believe that theory completely. And Harry, this is all political; Maxime and Karkaroff may all have good relationships with Dumbledore, but they want to beat him, prove he's human. The reason for the tournament's founding was international magical cooperation. I hate to say it, but you two coming out now, together, would put an end to all that."

 

Harry and Cedric looked at each other for a few seconds, before saying that they'd think about it.

 

“So, was the potion you were brewing for Viktor and the first task?" Harry asked.

 

"That was what I intended, but ended up not using it." Joseph said. "It was suppose to protect him from major physical harm, but dragon fire could easily get through most magical defenses. Ended up not using it."

 

"Speaking of which, has he figured out the egg?" Cedric asked.

 

"No. He thought a normal message would be in the end and tried listening through the screeches." Joseph explained. "I had to shut the egg since I was the only one who cast a Silencing charm."

 

"Can you believe it's been a year since we've first met?" Harry asked.

 

"And it's almost been a year since you two started dating." Joseph said, making the couple smile. "Any plans?"

 

"Well, I've got a few things in mind, haven't decided on one, yet." Cedric said and smiled even more when Harry looked extremely excited.

 

The three talked for a while before leaving. While Cedric walked Harry to his common room, the Gryffindor tried to guess what Cedric was planning, and begged for him to tell him when he failed.

 

"You'll just have to wait a two more weeks." Cedric said with a chuckle, making Harry pout. "I promise, it will be worth the wait."

 

"Fine." Harry said with a sigh.

 

"Also, I'm going to tell Professor Sprout about us going together, if that's alright with you." Cedric said.

 

"It's fine with me, but what about what Joseph said?" Harry asked.

 

"I thought about it and maybe he'e worrying about nothing." Cedric said. "He’s probably over-thinking. It's just a dance."

 

"Well, if you're alright with it, then so am I." Harry said.

 

"Great." Cedric said and kissed Harry on the cheek. "See you tomorrow, then."

 

They bade each other good night before heading to their dorms.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

The next week flew by quickly with Harry anticipating his anniversary with Cedric. He was so excited, he wasn't put off when Snape announced they'd have a test on the day before the holidays. He was having lunch when he decided to ask for help in buying Cedric's gift.

 

"Well, what did you get him for Christmas last year?" Hermione asked and Harry told her about the broom servicing kit, green sweater, and necklace.

 

"I did learn that he likes to read basically anything." Harry said, remembering Cho had given the brunette one of Shakespeare's books.

 

"Well, there's a Hogsmeade trip scheduled for tomorrow. We can go and help you pick something out." Hermione said and Harry nodded in thanks.

 

Just then, Ron dropped onto the seat next to Harry and groaned.

 

"Still no luck?" Harry asked.

 

"At this rate, I'll end up with some troll." Ron complained.

 

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked.

 

"You know, like Eloise Midgen." Ron clarified.

 

"Her acne's gotten better and she's really nice." Hermione stated, glaring at the ginger.

 

"Her nose's off-centre." Ron pointed out.

 

"I see, so you'll go with the prettiest girl who'll have you." Hermione spat

 

"Pretty much." Ron replied, not picking up on the brunette's mood.

 

Hermione didn't reply anymore. She just gathered her things, told Harry she'll see him in class, and left.

 

"What's with her? Is it because no one's asked her?" Ron said.

 

Harry merely sighed at the cluelessness of his friend and they finished their lunch. The day flew by and Harry soon found himself in the common room, waiting for Hermione. Ron decided not to come, favouring trying to find a date. Harry thought it was for the best, since Hermione was still mad at him.

 

"So, have you narrowed your gift down to a few choices?" Hermione asked as they walked on the snow-covered path.

 

"Well, I was thinking about getting him his own Firebolt." Harry said and Hermione looked at him. "And realised that he'll look at me like that."

 

"I'm not saying it's a bad idea." Hermione said. "Huge on the extravagant side, though. What else have you thought of giving him?"

 

"Well, I was thinking of getting him a complete series of books, but I don't know any." Harry said. "I've also thought about buying him some muggle stuff, he was so fascinated with my walkman all summer. I should also get him a new sweater; he's grown so much in the past year, the one I bought him last year probably doesn't fit anymore. I also want to buy him some Bertie Bott's. Did you know that they take special orders? You can have them fill it with specific flavours. I'm thinking of filling Cedric's with some sweet and spicy-what?"

 

Harry turned to see Hermione looking at him with a huge smile.

 

"It's just weird seeing you fret like this." She replied and Harry raised an eyebrow. "A good weird, Harry. Think about it; you're in the middle of a dangerous tournament, someone's out for your blood, and you have no idea what's coming next. Instead of worrying about any of those, you're worried about what to get your boyfriend."

 

"Well, I really care about him, 'Mione." Harry said, his cheeks turning red.

 

"I know, Harry." Hermione said with a small smile.

 

The two first headed to the bookstore, since it was the closest to them. Harry found several books of Sherlock Holmes and bought them for Cedric. While Hermione wasn't looking, he also bought her gift; books on Durmstrang and Beauxbatons. They then moved to the clothes shop, where he bought Cedric a few sweaters. They then arrived at Honeydukes where Harry filed a special order, choosing flavours like butterscotch, vanilla, jalapeño, etc. He then went to a shop that sold muggle things, buying Cedric his own cassette player and several cassettes of bands that he thought Cedric would like. They then bought Quidditch supplies for Ron and Cedric, and Harry made the decision to buy Cedric a Firebolt.

 

"He's going to love it Harry, I'm sure." Hermione said.

 

"Yeah, I guess." Harry said.

 

"What's wrong? You've bought Cedric a mountain of presents." Hermione pointed out. "You can't honestly believe that's not enough."

 

"It's not about whether it's enough or not." Harry said. "I was planning to choose the present that I felt was the perfect gift for the occasion and give the rest on Christmas, but none of these feel like the perfect gift."

 

Harry sighed and looked at the clock hanging on the train station.

 

"It's already that time." Harry said as he brought out his pocket watch.

 

"Harry, that's a gorgeous pocket watch." Hermione said, admiring the ruby-studded, golden mechanism.

 

"Joseph got it for me last year as a Christmas gift." Harry explained. "I only started using it recently when Cedric gave me a copy of his individual portrait."

 

As Hermione admired his pocket watch, something clicked in Harry's head. He and Hermione walked through the streets, heading for the area with the higher-end shops. They then stopped at a small building that, at first glance, looked like it didn't belong there with its faded paint.

 

"Good afternoon." A cheerful voice greeted when they entered. "Well, Ms. Granger, a pleasure to see you again. And it's a great honour to meet you, Mr. Potter."

 

Mr. Trent shook their hands, his eyes showing the same sparkle it did a year ago.

 

"Mr. Trent, Harry was actually the one who ordered the necklaces." Hermione said.

 

"Ah, and did you and your partner find them satisfactory?" Mr. Trent asked.

 

"Yes, my boyfriend and I loved them, sir." Harry answered, making the jeweler's smile grow. "Actually, I'm here because I'd like to buy a gift for him. Do you have any pocket watches?"

 

Mr. Trent beckoned them to follow him to the counter and brought out a glass case with several different pocket watches; there was one made of silver, another of gold, there was even one that looked like it was made purely of diamond. Harry scanned them and found a golden one similar to his own, but the design on the front looked like the Hufflepuff badger and it wasn't studded with any gems.

 

"I take it that your boyfriend is from Hufflepuff." Mr. Trent said and Harry nodded. "These ones are very popular among Hogwarts students."

 

"I was wondering if you could change the material for the badger, sir." Harry asked and Mr. Trent nodded. "I was thinking about something black. Onyx, perhaps?"

 

"Yes, a brilliant idea my boy." The old man praised. "How soon do you want it?"

 

"Will you be able to get it to me by Tuesday? Wednesday morning at the latest?" Harry asked. "I'll pay more."

 

"Of course, Mr. Potter. And you don't need to pay more." Mr. Trent said. "I assume you'll be having your owl pick it up?"

 

Harry nodded and paid Mr. Trent. He and Hermione then returned to the castle, discussing how to crack the golden egg.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Wednesday came and Harry was excited to see Cedric during his free period in the afternoon. The pocket watch arrived last night and Harry admired Mr. Trent's craftsmanship. He had made the badger onyx, but also had a little white stripe of diamond in the middle. The pocket watch was now in a small white box, tied with a blue ribbon. He began heading for his first class when someone pulled him into a broom cupboard.

 

"Is your gift to me a heart attack?" Harry asked as he stared at the brunette.

 

"Sorry, forgot about someone trying to kill you." Cedric said, then bent down and tenderly kissed the Gryffindor's lips. "Better?"

 

"Much." Harry replied with a smile.

 

"So, after Transfiguration, I want you to meet me at Black Lake." Cedric said.

 

Harry agreed and the two shared another kiss before they headed for their individual classes. Harry was so excited, he couldn't focus in class. Luckily, Professor Flitwick opted to let the class talk, since everyone was too excited about the Ball to listen, and talked to Harry about the Summoning charm he used. Professor McGonagall, however, was not so lenient; she had everyone try to transfigure three chicks into three different items, in preparation for the O.W.L.s next year. As soon as Transfiguration was over, Harry said goodbye to his friends and headed for Black Lake. As he approached the tree he and Cedric always sat under, he began to see what the brunette had planned; there was a picnic blanket and two plates, a picnic basket on the side, and a vase of flowers in the middle.

 

"Did I meet Mr. Potter's expectations?" Cedric asked.

 

Harry nodded and smiled. He turned to thank his boyfriend, and was surprised at what he saw; Cedric in black, dapper-looking dress robes.

 

"I was thinking about showing you what I'd be wearing to the Ball." Cedric said. "What do you think?"

 

"You look very handsome." Harry said with a smile.

 

"Great, I can take this off now." The brunette stated and changed into his school robes.

 

"So, one year. Can you believe it? Harry asked as they sat.

 

"I still sometimes think that I'm dreaming." Cedric said.

 

They talked as they ate. Cedric had taken some sandwiches, a bottle of pumpkin juice, and some treacle tarts from the kitchens. After eating, they cleared the plates and sat next to each other, Harry leaning on Cedric, watching the lake and the sun set.

 

"It's strange." Harry said. "During things like classes you're not interested in, doing your homework in the library, or chasing after your animagus godfather so he won't be killed by a werewolf, it seemed like time moved so slowly. But now that I look at it, it seems like the time flew by since we got together."

 

"I know." Cedric said. "I recently looked at our photo album and couldn't believe that we'd already filled up half of it."

 

"Thank you for today Cedric." Harry said and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek. "Everything was perfect."

 

"Anytime." Cedric returned. "I wish we could always have moments like these. But I guess only having a few of these makes us cherish them forever."

 

"Speaking of forever." Harry said and brought out the small white box with a blue ribbon. "Happy anniversary."

 

Cedric opened and stared wide-eyed at the silver pocket watch.

 

"Harry...I don't know what to say." Cedric said.

 

He opened it and found the individual champion portrait of Harry. Cedric turned to Harry and kissed him.

 

"So I take it you like it?" Harry asked with a smile.

 

"I do. Here's your present." Cedric said and handed his boyfriend a rectangular box.

 

Harry opened it and had the same expression Cedric had when he saw his present. Harry was staring at a silver picture frame, but the picture in it wasn't of him or Cedric. It was a picture of five Hogwarts students, all from Gryffindor. The one on the farthest left looked shy and awkward, hiding in the back. He had mousey brown hair, blue eyes, and light skin. The male next to him was tall, well-groomed, with light brown hair, green eyes, fair skin, and a prefect badge was pinned on his robes. The person next to him looked like his exact opposite; with grey eyes, he had long, black, curly hair, and a mischievous smile. Harry recognised Remus and Sirius immediately, and he assumed the awkward boy was Pettigrew.

 

What caught his eye the most the last two people in the far right; one was a woman with a bright smile, fiery red hair, and beautiful green eyes. A tall, slightly tanned male had his arms around her. He had messy jet black hair, hazel eyes, and rectangular glasses.

 

"I remember that you only had a few pictures of your parents." Cedric explained. "So I sent an owl to Professor Lupin and asked if he had any. He sent me this."

 

Harry stared at the picture and everyone was right; he looked so much like his father, but he had his mother's beautiful eyes. He then looked at Cedric, his eyes glossy and looked like he was about to cry. Before Cedric could ask if he was alright, Harry hugged him.

 

"Thank you." Harry whispered.

 

"Happy anniversary, Harry."


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter 25: New Chapter, Same Book**

It was a week until the Yule Ball and Draco had had about enough of Astoria Greengrass. She was a whiny, needy, manipulative bitch and Draco would sooner marry a hippogriff than her. Of course, that’s not what he said to her.

 

“I’m sorry Astoria, but we’re too different from each other.” Draco said, easily ignoring his housemate’s sad expression. “It’s good to be with someone who’s different from you, but I need someone who compliments me in some aspects.”

 

Astoria nodded and left the common room, followed by three of her friends and her sister, who all glared at him. Sighing, Draco returned to his dormitory, where Blaise was going through his wardrobe.

 

“How’d she take it?” He asked.

 

“Better than I expected.” Draco answered. “I thought she’d create a scene.”

 

“Well, she was the one who got dumped, Dray. She didn’t want to look desperate.” Blaise said.

 

“Now, all I have to do is wait for father’s howler.” Draco groaned.

 

“So you’re going to nullify your arranged marriage?” Blaise asked and Draco looked at him. “Come on Dray; think about being married to Astoria for the rest of your life.”

 

“Fair point.” Draco said with a frown. “But It was arranged for a reason.”

 

“Yeah, to get a pure-blood baby, but you can easily do that with someone else. I know there’s a specific someone who you’d rather be married to.”

 

“It doesn’t matter. He’s with someone else now.”

 

“And whose fault is that?”

 

“How do you even know?”

  
“You’re not the only friend Joseph has in this school, you know. And I’m always the one he talks to when you two lovers quarrel.”

 

Draco glared at Blaise for not telling him, but sighed.

 

“Well, you don’t have to worry about being Joseph’s shoulder to cry on since he’s very happy with Viktor.” Draco said bitterly. “And I know it’s my fault.”

 

“I know nothing will make your anger go away.” Blaise said as he sat next to the blonde. “But instead of focusing on being angry with yourself for being a git, try and focus on being happy for Joseph.”

 

Draco sighed and nodded, thanking his friend before asking for advice on who to take to the Yule Ball.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Draco had decided to ask Pansy, since her boyfriend was involved in a Potions class mishap caused by Crabbe and was sent home to recover over the holidays. She said yes and the two were going as friends. It was lunch time when Draco received a letter from his father.

 

“Well, at least it’s not a howler.” Blaise said with an encouraging smile.

 

“That only means he’ll hold onto his anger about this until he sees me again.” Draco sighed and opened the letter.

 

_Draco,_

_I’m quite displeased, as you can imagine. Why did you break up with Astoria? Do you know how awkward it was for me and your mother when we had dinner with the Greengrasses last night and heard that you had broken their daughter’s heart? Whatever plan you have of fixing this, execute it quickly. The longer you let this issue sit, the worse your marriage to her will be._

His father didn’t even sign the letter, and Draco rolled his eyes and set the piece of parchment on fire. He may not have a chance with Joseph anymore, but there was no way he was getting back together with Astoria. He glanced around the table and saw his friend looking from his book to Viktor again and again.

 

“What’s wrong with him?” Draco asked Blaise.

 

“There are only a few days before the Ball and Viktor hasn’t asked him.” Bliase whispered and Draco’s eyes widened in shock.

 

“Can’t we just assume they’re going together?” Draco asked.

 

“The gesture still holds significant importance.” Blaise stated. “But maybe Krum assumes they’re going together and just didn’t bother.”

 

Draco merely nodded and watched his raven-haired friend, having a bad feeling about this.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Joseph and Viktor were in the library, reading different books in a comfortable silence, well, it was for Viktor. Joseph couldn’t focus on the words in front of him, his eyes always darting back to the Bulgarian seeker. Deciding that he should get his answers now, he shut his book.

 

“Viktor, is there any important event that’s coming up?” He asked.

 

“The Yule Ball.” Viktor answered.

 

“Is there anything you wanted to ask me about it?” Joseph continued.

 

“Listen, ve need to talk about that.” Viktor said with a sigh, setting his own book down. “I don’t think ve should attend the Ball together?”

 

“Why not?” Joseph asked.

 

“It’s just that our relationship is very new.” Viktor replied. “And it vill sure spark controversy because of our age difference?”

 

“Fine.” Joseph said with a sigh. “So who are you going with? Nikolai?”

 

“I vos actually…thinking of someone…different.” Viktor said nervously and Joseph’s eyes widened in realization.

 

“You’re going with a girl, aren’t you?” Joseph asked and Viktor nodded. “I can’t believe this.”

 

“Please try to understand.” Viktor said, taking Joseph’s hand. “My country isn’t as accepting of people like us as your country. I could lose everything; my position as seeker, any hope of getting a stable job, my family might even disown me.”

 

“This is exactly why my relationship with Draco ended.” Joseph said, taking his hand back. “It ended because his father’s opinion of him was the most important thing in the world. You’re both the same.”

 

“Joseph, please…” Viktor tried to calm the Slytherin, but Joseph already stood from his seat.

 

“Go on and lie to the world, as well as yourself.” Joseph spat. “But don’t come crawling back to me when you realise how miserable you are with your wife and children.”

 

With that Joseph stormed off. When he exited the library, he found Viktor’s stalkers. On any other day, he would’ve hated to see them, but he was very happy tonight.

 

“He’s near the back.” Joseph announced to the group. “And he’s looking for a date to the Yule Ball.”

 

In the blink on an eye, every single girl was gone. Joseph smiled to himself, before realising that he had just assured that Viktor would have a girlfriend by the end of the week.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Draco had returned from the library, where he was hiding from the Daphne and her friends. While there, he finished some of the work Snape had assigned for the holidays. He would’ve stayed longer, but a group of girls came rushing in, talking and giggling loudly, causing Madame Pince to go on a warpath. He returned to his dormitory and found it strange when he saw Joseph’s bed’s curtains were all drawn shut.

 

“What’s going on?” He asked Blaise.

 

“Joseph asked Viktor if they were going together to the Ball.” Blaise said. “They’re not.”

 

“Why?” Draco asked..

 

Blaise then recounted what Joseph had told his friends, and everyone right outside their door, what happened between Viktor and him in the library.

 

“It’s understandable, since if Viktor cares more about what other people think of him than what the person he’s in a relationship with thinks of him…” Blaise began, but stopped when he realised who he was talking to. “I didn’t mean…at least you tried to get rid of your father’s hold on you.”

 

“Well unfortunately, I did it too late.” Draco sighed, staring at his friend’s bed. “Should we talk to him?”

 

“Let’s give him some space, first.” Blaise said. “Then, let’s just talk about normal things and let him come to us about it.”

 

Draco nodded and went to his own bed, worried about his friend.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter 26: The Yule Ball**

“You’ve come really far from stepping on my feet every other minute.” Cedric chuckled.

 

It was a few days before the Ball, and Harry and Cedric were in one of the old classrooms, practicing their dancing. Harry had come a long way; he started out watching his feet, stumbling at every turn, and probably would’ve broken Cedric’s toes if the brunette had not suggested that they take off their shoes. Now, Harry was able to follow Cedric’s lead, every step of the way.

 

“Well, I have an amazing teacher.” Harry said with a smile, pulling Cedric in for a short kiss.

 

“A few more days of practice and everyone won’t be able to keep their eyes off of you.” Cedric said as they headed out.

 

“Please, everyone will be staring at you.” Harry said as he rolled his eyes.

 

“That or they’ll be staring at your cute butt.” Cedric said with a cheeky smile.

 

Harry chuckled and was about to retort when he stopped at the sight of Professor McGonagall standing outside of the Gryffindor common room.

 

“There you are, Potter.” She said, looking at him and then to Cedric. “Professor Dumbledore has asked to see the both of you. Come along.”

 

Harry and Cedric looked at each other, but followed Professor McGonagall as she led them to the Headmaster’s office. The Head of Gryffindor knocked when they arrived, and entered when they heard Professor Dumbledore call for them.

 

“Thank you, Minerva. I shall take it from here.” The headmaster said and then turned to the couple. “Please have a seat Harry, Cedric. Lemon Drop?”

 

“No thank you, sir.” Harry said. “May I ask what this is about?”

 

“Well, Professors Sprout and McGonagall have brought to my attention that you two plan on being each other’s date to the Yule Ball.” Dumbledore said, and the two students nodded in confirmation, making the headmaster sigh. “It is with a heavy heart that I ask you two not to continue with this plan.”

 

"Why?" Harry asked.

 

"Harry, the point of the Triwizard Tournament is to promote international magical cooperation." Dumbledore said. "I'm sure you can understand what kind of position we're in, given that we're the host school, have two champions, and this never happening before."

 

"Sir, I don't see how who the champions take to the ball can have effect on that." Cedric said, holding Harry's hand to calm him.

 

"Being a son of Amos, I expected you to understand, my boy. But, the entire tournament is wrapped in politics." Dumbledore explained. "There's no rule against it, but if one champion were to take another to the Ball, it would look as if they were conspiring together."

 

"But what if they just liked each other?" Harry asked.

 

"I wish it were that simple, Harry." Dumbledore said with a sad smile. "But nothing ever is when people look at it through the lens of politics."

 

The three sat in silence. Harry couldn't believe that he, after thinking long and hard about finally coming out with Cedric during the Ball, wouldn't be able to do so because some adults will start pointing fingers and making baseless accusations.

 

"If it were up to me, you two would be in bed, worrying about not making a mistake when you open the Ball." Dumbledore said with a small smile. "That's the reason why it's taken so long to inform the two of you. Professors McGonagall, Sprout, and I have been seeing if there was a way you two could go together and it not cause any backlash."

 

"We understand, sir." Cedric said. "Harry and I will look for new partners for the dance."

 

Dumbledore nodded while thanking them, then dismissed the two.

 

"Are you alright?" Cedric asked Harry as they walked.

 

"Of course not." Harry said. "How could you just agree so willingly?"

 

"Because I understood where Professor Dumbledore was coming from." Cedric said. "Listen, it's outrageous, but not going to the Ball together is one small sacrifice for the school we both love, right?"

 

"Fine, you're right." Harry sighed, muttering under his breath about how many sacrifices he's made since he got here. "So, who will you be taking?"

 

"Cho was invited by this guy, but he got really sick, so she's free." Cedric said.

 

"I'll most likely ask Hermione." Harry said and sighed. "She and Ron have been arguing a lot."

 

"What about?" Cedric asked.

 

"Ron complained about probably being stuck with a 'troll' for the Ball and, understandably, Hermione got mad." Harry said.

 

"Well, the Weasleys are direct, at least." Cedric said. "Hey, this will all eventually blow over."

 

"I know." Harry said, turning to Cedric when they arrived at the portrait of the Fat Lady. "We'll still practice our dancing together, right?"

 

"Yes, but I think I'll have you practice with Cho so you know how to lead." Cedric replied.

 

The two shared a quick kiss before parting ways for the night

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

"She's evil." Harry groaned.

 

"Come on, she was just teasing you." Cedric said with a smile.

 

He and Harry had just finished practicing with Cho, where the Ravenclaw teased the Gryffindor while they danced, making him make mistakes.

 

"I now understand why she's a pain in the ass." Harry said with a chuckle.

 

They entered the library, intending to get started on the work assigned over the holidays, but groaned at the sight of Viktor's fan club.

 

"Well, I guess we could go to Black Lake." Cedric said.

 

Harry was about to agree when he remembered something. Taking Cedric by the wrist, he led Cedric through the aisles of books until they reached a part of the wall with a portrait of Merlin.

 

"What is the one good?" Merlin asked.

 

"Knowledge." Harry answered.

 

"What is the one evil?"

 

"Ignorance."

 

A portion of the wall next to the portrait became a door and Harry led Cedric through it.

 

"What is this place?" Cedric asked.

 

"It's a private room, used by teachers and seventh years." Harry answered. "Joseph showed it to me."

 

They reached the bottom of the spiral staircase and Cedric stared in awe at the floating, crystal chandeliers, the elegant looking chairs and tables, the huge shelves lining all the walls and the large stone fireplace.

 

Cedric was about to move towards the table when he noticed someone sitting on one of the couches, their legs pulled up and resting their head on their knees. The couple approached and the person on the couch looked at them, their eyes red and puffy, and their cheeks streaked with tears.

 

"Joseph?" Harry asked shocked. "What's wrong?"

 

"It's nothing." Joseph replied, immediately wiping his face.

 

"It's clearly not nothing." Cedric said as he and Harry sat at either side of the Slytherin. "Tell us, what's wrong?"

 

"Fine." Joseph said, taking a deep breath and composing himself. “When Professor Snape informed us about the Yule Ball being a dance, I was a little anxious and excited at the idea of going with Viktor. A week passed and he hadn’t asked me. Since we were together, I thought that he assumed we were going together and didn’t see the need for asking, but the gesture still holds some meaning. I waited until two nights ago and asked him about it. He said we shouldn’t go together because ‘our relationship was fairly new’ and ‘we would spark controversy because of our age difference.’” Joseph snorted and rolled his eyes.

 

“What happened next?” Harry asked.

 

“I asked him who he was going with and thought he’d bring Nikolai, a friend of his.” Joseph sighed. “Long story short, he’s not, he’s going with a girl, and he doesn’t want to be seen with me because everyone’s opinion matters to him except mine.”

 

“So, you two broke up?” Harry asked and Joseph nodded. “I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s fine.” Joseph sighed. “I’m just really tired of relationships.”

 

“Come on, you don’t mean that.” Cedric said.

 

“If I could, I’d trade all my emotions for brain power.” Joseph returned.

 

“If you did that, you’d have no passion for potions.” Cedric said. “Or be friends with us.”

 

“Touché, Diggory.” Joseph said, making the brunette smile.

 

“Listen, I know you feel like never going into a relationship again, and that’s understandable.” Cedric said. “But that doesn’t mean that all relationships will end with you getting hurt.”

 

“Yeah, I’m sure that you’ll eventually meet the right guy for you.” Harry encouraged with a smile.

 

“Thanks guys.” Joseph said.

 

“We’re not done making you feel better, yet.” Cedric said and hugged the taller raven. Harry hugged Joseph from the other side and the Slytherin became stiff but made no move to pull away.

 

“Enough. I said thanks already.” Joseph said.

 

“It wouldn’t kill you to hug back, you know.” Cedric said with a smile.

 

“I do have to keep up appearances.” Joseph smirked. “What’s going on with you two?”

 

“Well, Dumbledore kind of stopped us from going to the Ball together.” Harry said sadly and explained.

 

“I’m sorry.” Joseph said.

 

“Well, you did warn us about this.” Harry sighed. “Worst part is I have two days to find a date.”

 

“Hermione already has a date?” Cedric asked.

 

“I asked her and she said no, and she was about to tell me why, then Ron walked in, asked her too, and they got into an argument.” Harry sighed. “Ron said it was fine for him to go alone since he’s a guy, but it was sad for girls to go alone.”

 

“Well, Pansy was right about one thing; men are the worst.” Joseph smirked, making the other two chuckle.

 

“Don’t worry, I’m sure you’ll both find dates.” Cedric said. “A partner for Harry, and if not to have a good time, maybe you can find someone that’ll make Viktor jealous.”

 

“Not a bad plan, but still not on the Slytherin level.” Joseph said. “And my plans for that night are limited to staying in bed, eating chocolate, and reading.”

 

“Whatever.” Cedric said as he rolled his eyes. “I have rounds.”

 

He said goodbye to the two, kissing Harry on the cheek, before leaving. Harry then begun on the work assigned by Snape, getting help from Joseph who already finished it, telling the Slytherin about the gifts he bought Cedric.

 

“At least you guys will have a great Christmas.” Joseph said.

 

“If I’m being honest, I’m more disappointed about not coming out rather than not getting to go with Cedric.” Harry admitted. “After debating with myself, and Hermione, I decided to do it.”

 

“Well, do you still want to do it?” Joseph asked. “Then find some other guy to go with.”

 

“I just thought it’d be more special with Cedric.” Harry said. “Besides, I don’t know anyone else, and I only have two days.”

 

“Really? I thought it was obvious Finnigan and Thomas were together.” Joseph said. “Come on Harry; don’t tell me you you’ve been blind to something that’s been in front of you.”

 

Harry was about to retort when he realised something; Seamus and Dean had been friends since first year, they were always seen together, Dean attended the World Cup with Seamus and his mum, and Seamus’s mum talked about how her son had never had a friend stay with them except for Dean.

 

“But, I guess this is for the best.” Joseph said as he checked Harry’s work. “Whoever you’re with will have to deal with everyone talking about them and talking to them, not to mention the press.”

 

Harry nodded and moved to get his Transfiguration book out when he got an idea. He got Joseph’s attention and explained the plan to him.

 

“The Sorting Hat made a mistake putting you in Gryffindor, Harry Potter.” Joseph said with a smirk.

 

“You’ve just been a strong influence.” Harry replied with a smile. “Whether that influence is good or bad remains to be seen.”

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

The night of the Yule Ball came and everyone was getting ready. Harry hadn’t heard from Hermione since he asked her to the Ball, but he’ll ask her how she was when they see each other. Harry dressed in his bottle-green dress robes and cast the spell Cedric thought him to comb his hair. When he was finished, even he admitted he looked handsome, for someone whose been underfed the majority of his life and spent eleven years in a broom cupboard. Just then, Ron walked out of the bathroom and grimaced when he saw his reflection.

 

“Murder me, Harry. “ He groaned.

 

“Come on Ron, it’s just one night.” Harry said, seeing Seamus and Dean walk in. “Hey guys, who’re you bringing?”

 

“No one.” Seamus answered. “We’re going to sit and laugh our asses off at the people who do bring dates and gets their dates angry.”

 

“Not ideal, but better than having to wait on someone.” Dean added before the two left.

 

“What are you smiling about?” Ron asked.

 

Harry was about to reply when he thought that if Seamus and Dean hadn’t told them, they weren’t ready with coming out.

 

“Just thinking about how you look in those robes.” Harry said, making Ron playfully punch him on the arm. “Also couldn’t believe how you got a date and they didn’t.”

 

Ron then bolted after Harry, chasing him around the room while the raven chuckled. They called a truce and headed for the Entrance Hall. Ron met his date, Padma Patil, and they were instructed to enter the Great Hall by Professor McGonagall. Harry surveyed the room. Harry spotted Fleur wearing in a bluish-silver dress, speaking with Roger Davies, Ravenclaw Quidditch captain. Harry spotted Viktor alone, waiting for his date too. He was wearing something that looked like a military uniform that was completely red, brown pants, black boots, and a fur cape. Harry then spotted Cedric speaking to Cho. The two spotted him and approached.

 

“Hey, handsome.” Cedric greeted.

 

“Is that appropriate when your date is right next to you?” Cho asked with a fake annoyed look.

 

“It is when my date knows I’m bent.” Cedric returned with a smile.

 

“He’s right though Harry, you look very handsome.” Cho said with a smile. “If I’m being honest, I’d rather be your fake date than Ced’s.”

 

“Thanks, you guys.” Harry said. “You guys look great too.”

 

Cho had her hair in a tight bun and was wearing a light blue cheongsam with a floral design. Cedric was dressed in black dress robes and even had a bow tie, making it look like he was wearing a tuxedo.

 

“I see Cho did a great job getting you ready.” Harry joked.

 

“It was my first task.” Cho chuckled. “So Harry, where’s your date?”

 

“They’ll be here soon.” Harry said.

 

Cedric was about to ask who, but his, along with everyone else’s, was caught by someone entering the hall. It was Hermione, but Harry couldn’t believe it was her; her hair was straightened, her teeth was back to normal and looked even better, and she wore a long pink dress.

 

“Hermione…I…you look…wow.” Harry said when Hermione approached him.

 

“Thanks. You don’t look bad yourself.” Hermione complimented back.

 

“Harry, I thought Hermione wasn’t your date.” Cedric said.

 

“She’s not.” Harry said. “Who’s your date?”

 

Hermione didn’t need to answer since Viktor approached her, gave a quick bow and offered her his arm. Hermione took it, saying a quick goodbye to her friends before walking away with Viktor.

 

“She knows that Viktor and Joseph just broke up right?” Cho asked.

 

“I haven’t actually gotten a chance to tell her since she’s been avoiding Ron like the plague. Meaning, she’s been avoiding me too.” Harry said.

 

“Everyone but the champions and their dates, please enter the Great Hall now.” Professor McGonagall announced. “Champions, get ready.”

 

Harry, Cedric, and Cho were still so focused on Hermione and Viktor that they didn’t hear the footsteps approaching them.

 

“Harry.”

 

They turned and Harry smiled while everyone else in the room, save for Professor McGonagall and Fleur, were left even more shocked than when they saw Hermione.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Draco and his friends were getting ready for the Ball, putting on their dress robes, styling their hair, and deciding what cologne to wear. Draco glanced at Joseph, who was combing his hair. His friend had decided to start talking to other people again, but was nowhere near talking about Viktor. So they all talked about regular things. He was glad that Joseph was attending the Ball, though. It’ll take his mind off the Bulgarian seeker, at least.

 

“So other than glare daggers at Krum, what are you going to do?” Blaise asked Joseph.

 

“I could cock block you all night.” Joseph returned as he fixed his black dress robe with a crimson-red trim. “But I don’t want to follow you all night. I’ll just tell McGonagall what you’re up to.”

 

The room chuckled and Blaise moved towards Draco, pretending to fix his appearance in the blonde’s oversized mirror.

 

“He seems to be doing well. Does he have a date?” Blaise whispered

 

“I don’t think so.” Draco said. “He’s either been here or the library.”

 

“Maybe he’s gotten over Krum.” Blaise said

 

“Doubt it.” Draco sighed. “Let just all focus on enjoying the night and make fun of those who make fools out of themselves.”

 

Once everyone was dressed, they walked out to the common room, where Draco met Pansy, who was wearing a long, green dress and the two led their group towards the Great Hall.

 

“Who do you think Potter brought?” Draco asked.

 

“Probably Granger, they’re definitely soul mates where their hair is concerned.” Pansy chuckled.

 

“Who knows, he could’ve brought Weasley.” Blaise snickered.

 

They all arrived at the Entrance Hall, spotting the champions.

 

“Where are Krum’s and Potter’s dates?” Theo asked.

 

As if on cue, they noticed majority of the people in the room turn to look and so did they, and were surprised to see Hermione Granger commanding the attention of the whole room.

 

“Do you think I have a shot with her?” Blaise asked.

 

“There’s not enough alcohol in the world, Blaise.” Joseph said.

 

The Slytherins were left more shocked when Krum approached the Gryffindor and led her away from her friend.

 

“Krum?! Her date is Krum?!” Pansy asked in disbelief.

 

Professor McGonagall asked everyone but the champions to enter the Great Hall. Halfway to the doors, Draco turned to ask Joseph if he was alright, but didn’t find his friend there. Instead, he saw the taller Slytherin approach Harry, Cho, and Cedric. Joseph then shocked his friends when he offered his arm to Harry, who took it.

 

“Mr. Malfoy, would you and your friends please enter the Great Hall before I’m forced to lock you all out.”

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

“So, are you satisfied with the reaction we got?” Joseph asked Harry halfway through dinner.

 

“Yes, but I just wished Cedric didn’t look too shocked when he saw.” Harry chuckled.

 

From the reaction they got in the Entrance Hall, Harry knew they’d get a bigger reaction in the Great Hall. And he was right; every Hogwarts students’ attention was divided between Hermione and Viktor, and him and Joseph.

 

“Also, I haven’t told Hermione about you and Viktor.” Harry said.

 

“I figured as much.” Joseph said. “And it’s fine. She probably thought that Viktor and I weren’t ready to announce to everyone we were dating. But by the looks of it, she knows now.”

 

Harry looked to where Hermione and Viktor were seated. They were deep in discussion, but Hermione clearly wasn’t enjoying it. After everyone finished dinner, Harry, the other champions, and their dates walked to the dance floor. Harry placed one hand on Joseph’s shoulder while the taller raven placed one of his on Harry’s hip and took the other in his free hand. The music began playing and the four pairs began dancing.

  
“I see all that practice has paid off.” Joseph said.

 

“Thanks, I had a great teacher.” Harry said, spotting a blonde Slytherin glaring at him. “What’s Malfoy doing here with Pansy?”

 

“He and Astoria recently broke up.” Joseph replied, leading Harry so they didn’t bump into the other couples joining.

 

“Really? Then why didn’t you attend with him?”  Harry asked.

 

“Well, because I told him that us breaking up and getting together with other people was better for us.” Joseph sighed.

 

The song ended and everyone applauded. Harry and Joseph sat at a table close to the walls. Before they could resume their conversation, Hermione and Viktor sat with them.

 

“You guys were really good.” Hermione said.

 

“So were you guys.” Harry returned with a smile. He tried to offer one to Viktor, but the Bulgarian’s attention was on the Slytherin next to him, whose focus was on the people still dancing.

 

“Would you like something to drink, Harry?” Joseph asked.

 

“S-sure. A glass of punch please.” Harry said.

 

Joseph nodded and left. Viktor then asked if Hermione wanted a drink as well, and left quickly when the brunette nodded.

 

“Is Joseph mad at me?” Hermione asked.

 

“No, I told him I didn’t get to tell you.” Harry said.

 

“Well, it’s not entirely your fault.” Hermione admitted. “How’s he doing?”

 

“Better. He did agree to come with me.” Harry said.

 

“So, why did you guys decide to go with each other?” Hermione asked.

 

Before Harry could answer, Cedric and Cho arrived, both of them asking the same thing.

 

“Well, it was kind of a favour to me.” Harry began. “We were discussing which guy I could bring to the Ball, since I still wanted to come out, but couldn’t come up with a name. Joseph said it was for the best because whoever I brought will be harassed by everyone for answers. So I asked him to attend the Ball with me. He won’t be harassed by majority of the student body, since they’re afraid of him, and he’s well-versed in handling the press. He won’t give too much information, but will give them enough to keep their focus on him.”

 

“And that’ll eliminate suspicion on anyone else.” Hermione nodded.

 

“Like Cedric.” Cho finished.

 

“What happened to being in the centre of attention with who can help you handle it?” Cedric asked.

 

“And Joseph can handle it. He can handle it better than both of us combined.” Harry said. “He’s given us, at the very least you, a shield from the press, and that’s what I asked from him.”

 

“Well, I guess we should thank him.” Cedric said with a small smile.

 

“That may be a problem.” Cho said and everyone looked towards the buffet table. Joseph and Viktor were standing side by side, looking like they were in a heated discussion. After a few minutes, Joseph set down the drinks he was carrying and walked out.

 

“Should we go after him?” Cedric asked, but Harry kept him from getting up.

 

“I think it’ll be taken care off.” He said, gesturing to the blonde Slytherin heading for the doors.

 

“Are you sure it’s safe to leave those two together?” Hermione asked.

 

“I just have a feeling that it’ll be alright.” Harry said before taking Cedric’s hand.

 

They stood and Harry led the Hufflepuff towards the gardens. The blooming flowers looked beautiful bathed in moon light and a few lanterns were charmed to float around, giving the garden an intimate ambiance.

 

“So, what’s up?” Cedric asked with a smile.

 

“You owe me a dance.” Harry returned.

 

“We don’t have any music.” Cedric pointed out.

 

“We’ll make our own music.” Harry said.

 

Cedric rolled his eyes, but smiled and nodded. He wrapped his hands around Harry’s waist while the Gryffindor wrapped his hands around Cedric’s neck, and the two began slowly swaying back and forth, silently dancing whilst staring into each other’s eyes. Neither of them cared if someone were to walk out and see them. At that moment, it was just them, and they were going to enjoy every second as much as they could.

 

“So, what did you think of your first Ball?” Cedric asked.

 

“I probably would’ve enjoyed it more if I got to go with you.” Harry admitted. “And if I didn’t have to open the Ball in front of everyone.”

  
“Well if you win the Tournament, you’ll probably be making appearances where you’ll have to do that.”

 

“Nice try, but I’m giving the Tournament everything I’ve got. Besides, you’ll definitely be the one with me the next time.”

 

“Are you sure you wouldn’t want Joseph?” Cedric joked.

 

“Yes, he is the better dancer.” Harry joked back. “But, dancing with you, I don’t know how to explain it, but it feels better.”

 

“I guess that just means your body knows who you belong with.” Cedric grinned

 

“Fine. Cedric, will you be my dance partner for life?” Harry said as he rolled his eyes and smiled.

 

“Of course.” Cedric replied, kissing Harry on the lips for a short while. “There’s no one else I’d rather be dancing with.”


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter 27: Christmas Parties and Plots**

 

 

Christmas morning came and everyone was having breakfast in the Great Hall. As Harry and Joseph planned, every single publication, from the Daily Prophet to Witch Weekly, had the story of him being in a relationship with the Slytherin as the big headline. He also expected Skeeter to write the article, which she did;

 

**_The Boy Who Loved_ **

_By_

_Rita Skeeter_

_Last night, the Yule Ball was held at Hogwarts. It's a night where the students of the competing schools can interact with each other. As tradition dictates, the champions of the Tournament open the Ball with a dance, inviting partners of their choice. While it is not unusual for a champion to have a partner of the same sex, Hogwarts's Harry Potter surprised everyone when it was revealed that his partner was Mr. Joseph Duskgem, a Slytherin in the same year as Harry, and son of Healer Stephen Duskgem and Alyssa Duskgem, a member of the Wizengamot. It is unsure as to why Harry would take Mr. Duskgem, but an inside source has told us that Harry has been spending more time in the school library. Harry is a bright student, but he only went to the library when he needed to, or when his dear friend, the charming Hermione Granger, was with him. Our inside source has also told us the Mr. Duskgem spent majority of his free time in the library. Alas, no one can provide visual confirmation, but it doesn't take a genius to figure out what Mr. Potter's new motivation is for frequenting the library._

 

The rest of the article consisted of opinions from some readers, majority of which described Joseph as the spawn of Death Eater scum, and that his friends should try to separate them. Harry merely rolled his eyes at the comments and looked over to the Slytherin table. Joseph was surrounded by his usual group of friends, all of them asking questions. Joseph gave short answers or simply waved them off. As if feeling the Gryffindor's gaze on him, Joseph looked up from his breakfast. It wasn't long after that his friends followed his gaze, then the entire Slytherin table, and then the entirety of the Great Hall. With all eyes on them, Harry thought that everyone will realise that they're not in a relationship, but Joseph did something that not only kept their cover from being blown, but shocked every single person who knew him, including Harry; the raven-haired Slytherin flashed a wide smile at the Gryffindor. It took a few seconds, but Harry smiled back and gestured to the doors. Joseph nodded and they each excused themselves from their groups of friends before heading for the doors.

 

When they met each other in front of the doors Harry could still feel the gaze of the entire Hall on him, but Joseph had a mischievous smile on his face, hidden to everyone but him. He leaned down and placed a short kiss on Harry's cheek, making the Gryffindor blush, before wrapping an arm around Harry's shoulders and leading him out the Hall before everyone could recover from their shock and start talking again..

 

"Did you really have to do all that?" Harry asked when they walked out onto the courtyard.

 

"This deception of ours won't work if we play our roles half-assed." Joseph said. "And I don't see you pulling away."

 

"That's because it's cold." Harry said with a pout.

 

"Now you're getting it." Joseph said as they sat on one of the stone benches. "Listen, all eyes are on us and they're as perceptive as yours when you're looking for the snitch. We'll need to put on a show for a month, at the most two, to have everyone convinced we're together."

 

"What about when the tournament is over and Cedric and I can come out as a couple already?" Harry asked.

 

"We'll just say that we broke up." Joseph stated. "I'm sure the public will be relieved to find out you're no longer dating the spawn of Death Eater scum."

 

"Don't let those comments get to you." Harry said.

 

"I don't. What I get called is nothing compared to what my mother and father go through." Joseph sighed. "The important thing is that I know that what they were doing was in everyone's best interest."

 

Harry nodded and the two sat in silence for a while. Harry eventually noticed the group of girls trying, and failing, to hide from view, watching him and Joseph with great interest. Harry subtly gestured to them.

 

"Well, why don't we give them a show?" Joseph said before bringing a small, beautifully wrapped box.

 

They could hear the girls' excited whispers. From their reactions, it was like they were watching a proposal in a rom-com. Harry unwrapped the box, removed the small lid and found two bracelets, both having five rune stones attached to a silver chain.

 

"The other is for Cedric." Joseph said as Harry brought one out. "Here, we have the runes for courage in red, loyalty in yellow, intelligence in blue, cunning in green, and unity in white. I have one and sent others to Cho and Hermione."

 

"This is a great gift, thank you." Harry said and hugged the taller raven, who hugged back after a few seconds.

 

"The girls don't look satisfied with your reaction." Joseph whispered.

 

"Well, why don't we give them what they want?" Harry returned, pulling away slightly.

 

"Are you sure?" Joseph asked.

 

"Like you said, we need to put on a show." Harry said.

 

Joseph nodded slightly, cupping one of Harry's cheeks. The two ravens stared at each other for a few seconds before the Slytherin hesitantly closed the gap between them. Harry heard the girls gasp and giggle, but he was too focused on the kiss. Joseph's lips were soft, his kisses were tender and cautious, probably being careful of not going too far. It didn't excite Harry the way Cedric's kisses did, but he conceded that the Slytherin was a good kisser. They pulled away after a few minutes and saw the group of girls return inside the castle.

 

"Well, we've certainly given them some material to use when they feel naughty at night." Joseph joked.

 

"Was I that bad of a kisser?" Harry asked and smirked when the blush on the taller raven's face intensified. "You're actually cute when you blush."

 

"You do remember we're a fake couple, right?" Joseph asked.

 

"Doesn't mean I can't play my part well." Harry returned.

 

"Well, I think it's safe to say that they'll tell their friends we kissed, which means everyone will know by lunch time, so we can avoid doing it for a while." Joseph cleared his throat adjusted his clothes.

 

Harry nodded and saw a flurry of red in the corner of his eye. He turned and saw the Weasley twins walking their way.

 

"Harry, I know we're trying to look like a couple, but I won't hesitate to use you as a human shield." Joseph whispered and Harry replied with a humourless laugh.

 

"Hey Harry." The twins greeted in unison.

 

"Hey guys." Harry greeted back. "What's going on?"

 

"Well, mum saw the article." Fred said.

 

"She actually saw a late night update of the Prophet last night." George clarified. "She wanted us to check on you."

 

"Why did she ask you to check on me?" Harry asked.

 

"Well, she wanted to make sure you weren't bothered by any of the articles or what people were saying about you." Fred answered.

 

"I'm fine." Harry said with a smile.

 

"Oh, and this is for you." George said, handing a gift to Joseph.

 

"Oh, thank you." The Slytherin said, cautiously eyeing the package before opening it and revealing a green sweater emblazoned with a large silver J on the front.

 

"Oh, Mrs. Weasley knitted you a sweater too." Harry said, trying to keep his grin small. "And she did it on such short notice."

 

"I will be sure to write her a letter expressing my thanks." Joseph said before turning to the twins. "Thank you for delivering this and not cursing it."

 

"Well, mum would've had our asses if we did." Fred said.

 

"She said that you're welcome at the Burrow any time." George added before the twins bent down, their expressions becoming very serious.

 

"But if you, in any way, hurt Harry."

 

"Let's just say tests and grades will be the least of your worries. Clear?"

 

"Crystal." Joseph said with a nod, and the twins straightened themselves and had their goofy grins on again.

 

"Anyway, we also wanted to tell you guys about the party." Fred said and Harry raised an eyebrow. "Well, the staff, Maxime, and Karkaroff are going to have a party of their own in Hogsmeade."

 

"So Fred and I thought that we should take this opportunity to have a real party." George finished. "Music, food, friends. You guys in?"

 

"I think it sounds great." Harry said, looking at the Slytherin who seemed offended by the idea.

 

"Are you sure you want to let your boyfriend go alone?" George asked.

 

"Yeah, some of the upper years will be drinking, and they can get pretty frisky." Fred added. "There will be only a few people who'll be responsible at the party, and we're only two people."

 

"Plus, we'll probably be hammered by ten." George said.

 

"Fine, I'll go." Joseph sighed, making the twins smile when he wrapped an arm around the shortest Gryffindor protectively.

 

"We'll see you guys at eight in the Great Hall then." Fred said and he and his brother left.

 

"You could've just let me go alone." Harry said once the twins were out of earshot. "I could've gone with Hermione or Ron."

 

"And how would it look like to people if I wasn't with you at a party?" Joseph asked.

 

"Just admit it; you're concerned about me being 'frisked.'" Harry teased.

 

"If we weren't in a fake relationship, I would hex you." Joseph threatened, but the light pink tint on his cheeks made Harry chuckle. "Now let's find your real boyfriend before his head explodes from jealousy."

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

As expected, the news of Harry and Joseph kissing in the courtyard spread through the school like wildfire, even the teachers knew. Professor Snape even pulled the two of them to the side in the corridor to have a few words with them.

 

“Mr. Duskgem, although your choice of partner is extremely questionable, I won’t hold it against you when it comes to academics.” Snape said in a stern voice. “That being said, as the Head of Slytherin, I am obligated to inform you that you are free to have a relationship, so long as it is good and healthy for and your partner, and that you both do things that need not be made public knowledge in privacy.”  Snape grimaced after finishing his sentence, looking like he had just been stabbed.

 

“Of course, sir.” Joseph answered for him and Harry, seeing as how the Gryffindor was focusing all of his will power not to lose his breakfast. Snape stared at them for another minute before walking away.

 

“That was uncomfortable.” Harry said. “I almost thought he was going to have the ‘sex talk’ with us.”

 

“Well then, we’d better avoid McGonagall like the plague then.” Joseph stated. “Unlike Snape, she’s actually concerned about this stuff with regards to her students.”

 

Harry agreed and they avoided everyone as they headed for the library, heading for the private room immediately when they arrived. They resumed working on Harry’s assignments and they had finished a significant amount when Cedric arrived.

 

“Hey.” Harry greeted. He was about to stand when Cedric shook his head.

 

“I don’t want to intrude.” Cedric said. “You two look so comfortable together.”

 

“Ced.” Harry said with a frown as he approached his boyfriend.

 

“I’m sorry.” Cedric sighed. “I just wish I wasn’t out of the loop so things wouldn’t catch me by surprise. Hearing about you two snogging in the courtyard didn’t help, either.”

 

“First of all, we weren’t snogging.” Joseph said. “We gave people who have boring lives what they wanted to see so they’d leave us alone. Besides, there were no feelings poured into the kiss.”

 

“And I was the one who insisted that we do it.” Harry said. “Joseph and I need to be as convincing as possible if we have any shred of hoping to keep our relationship secret until the end of the tournament.”

 

Cedric nodded and apologised for the way he spoke when he arrived again. The other two didn’t blame him and accepted his apology.

 

“So, what happened between you and Krum last night?” Harry asked once he finished his Transfiguration assignments, with help from Cedric.

 

“He asked me why I was there with you. I said since we weren’t dating or going with each other, I could be there with whomever I wanted.” Joseph replied. “He then started muttering some things in Bulgarian. I couldn’t understand most of it since he was speaking rapidly and the parts I did understand, I’d rather not repeat.”

 

“So, what happened?” Cedric asked.

 

“I simply told him that we shouldn’t care who each other dates since we were no longer together, and that I would still be fine with being friends with him, so long as he kept it professional and that he didn’t have any notions that he had any right to tell me who I could see. But I assume you guys want to know the reason why I stormed off, right?” Harry and Cedric nodded. “He said that he went with Hermione because she was a ‘safe’ choice. I told him once again that I didn’t care who he dated. But if he was just using Hermione as a means from keeping people from the truth and he ends up hurting her, not only will I out him, but he will regret teaching me the spells he did.”

 

Harry and Cedric nodded, and the three of them continued with Harry’s work in silence until all of it was finished.

 

“So, are you going to the party tonight?” Harry asked Cedric.

 

“I kind of have to.” Cedric said with a sigh. “I’m one of the responsible people.”

 

“So, prefects are the ones who’ll be keeping everyone mostly in line?” Joseph asked.

 

“Yes, Professor Dumbledore knows about the party and as a gift, he allowed us to have it and didn’t tell anyone else.” Cedric explained. “He said that as long as there’s no underage drinking, we should be fine. Are you going, Harry? I could use the company, and help.”

 

“About that; Fred and George asked me when the Joseph and I were in the courtyard.” Harry began and then explained what happened earlier.

 

“I’m sorry. I know this isn’t how you planned on spending Christmas.” Joseph said.

 

“No it’s fine.” Cedric replied. “I’m actually glad you’ll be there. The twins are right; there are a lot of older guys who get gropey when they’ve had a little too much to drink.”

 

“You don’t have to tell me.” Joseph muttered, making the other two look at him. “Cassius Warrington, Marcus Flint, Thomas Schmidt. I could go on, but we’ll be here until school resumes.”

 

Joseph gathered his things and bade goodbye to his friends before leaving.

 

“Hey, why don’t we head to the Astronomy Tower after the party to exchange gifts?” Harry suggested and Cedric smiled.

 

“That would be great.” The brunette replied and hugged Harry tightly. “I was hoping I’d have you all to myself after the Yule Ball.”

 

“Oh? And what activities would we be doing right now if you had your way?” Harry asked with a smirk.

 

“Well, something that involves a lot of _interaction_ between us.” Cedric whispered as he pulled Harry to sit between his legs. “I really hated that our time with each other was cut short at the Yule Ball.”

 

“I still can’t believe Maxime though. The only thing that’s as big boned as her is a T-rex” Harry sighed. “I’m still wondering how Skeeter got a hold of the information though.”

 

“How‘s Hagrid, by the way?” Cedric asked.

 

“We visited him an hour after breakfast. He was hell bent on quitting.” Harry said. “Surprisingly, it was Hermione, not Professor Dumbledore, who convinced him to stay.”

 

“Well like Professor Lupin said, she is the brightest witch of her age.” Cedric said.

 

“Oh.” Harry exclaimed and fished for something in his pocket, bringing out a small black box, and showing the bracelet inside to Cedric. “It’s for you. Joseph gave one to me, Hermione, Cho and he has one himself. He also charmed them so that only the five of us can see each other’s, but everyone else sees only Joseph and me wearing them.”

 

“I see he’s making good use of the things he’s learning in Ancient Runes. This is a great gift.” Cedric said with a smile. “And unlike last year, I actually have something to give him.”

 

“Really, what is it?” Harry asked.

 

“You’ll have to wait until tonight. Wouldn’t want you to go blabbing about it to your boyfriend.”

 

Harry rolled his eyes and the two chatted for another half hour before leaving to return to their common rooms

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

 

Draco lied on his bed, wondering what the hell was going on. He didn't have any conclusions yet, but he knew there was no way Joseph and Potter were a couple. For the past month and a half, his friend was with Viktor and for majority of the summer, he was with Draco. When he went after Joseph the night before and asked about Viktor, he said that he had gotten on his nerves. He then asked Joseph about him taking Potter.

 

"What does it look like to you?" He replied.

 

"You brought him to annoy Krum?" Draco asked.

 

Joseph merely shut his eyes for a while and left, he didn't deny or confirm it, but Draco assumed he was right. As he mulled over his thoughts, he remembered Pansy saying last year that she had seen Potter going to the library more without his friends. When everyone interrogated him about the relationship at breakfast, Joseph said that he and Potter dated for a month and a half a year ago, but broke up. Even with this confession, Draco was still sceptical. It was when Joseph flashed a genuinely happy smile at the Gryffindor that made Draco consider if they were really together. It was only his stubborn nature that kept him from accepting the facts.

 

“If you keep thinking too hard your head will explode.” Blaise said as he sat on the edge of Draco’s bed.

 

“Stuff it, Zabini.” Draco spat and turned to face the other way.

 

“Draco, why can’t you just accept this?” Blaise sighed. “You’ll only stress yourself out more.”

 

“What? Like you had an easy time believing and accepting that a friend of ours is in a relationship with Potter?” Draco asked.

 

“I know that them together is highly suspect, and none of us know of any interaction they had with each other prior to the Yule Ball except for when Snape paired us with Gryffindor for one class, but the evidence is there. Even Potter’s friends seem fine with them”

 

“That’s what makes all of this really questionable. Granger would probably be fine since she sits next to Joseph in Ancient Runes, but Weasley would not have accepted this. At the least, it would’ve taken him some time.”

 

“Well they did date for a month and a half last year. Maybe Weasley got used to him then.”

 

Just then, the door to their dormitory opened and in walked the raven they were just talking about. He looked at the two of them and raised an eyebrow in question.

 

“Where’ve you been?” Blaise asked as he stood. “Busy christening every inch of the school with your boyfriend?”

 

“I’ve known you long enough to know not to share any information like that with you, Blaise.” Joseph said as he put away his books. “If I did, there’ll be rumour that Harry and I did it on McGonagall’s desk by dinner.”

 

“You know me so well.” Blaise smirked. “So I heard the Weasley twins are throwing a party later. It will probably be a bore, but there will be alcohol.”

 

“You don’t drink.” Draco stated. “Even when you had the chance to take some at our parties, you didn’t.”

 

“I don’t drink, but the people who weren’t chosen to be champions do.” Blaise said with a smirk. “Here’s my chance to sleep with an older woman.”

 

“You’re one of a kind, Blaise.” Joseph said sarcastically. “But I have to go since Harry wants to, and I will not leave him alone for people like Warrington or you to grope.”

 

“So, I was wondering, how’d Weasley take it when you and Potter got back together?” Blaise asked

 

“He’s still very opposed to the idea.” Joseph replied. “I assume he celebrated for a week when Harry and I broke up the last time.”

 

“So, why did you two break up last time?” Draco asked.

 

“Since he had Astronomy and I had Ancient runes, our time together was rather limited.” Joseph said. “And he focused more on keeping the peace between his friends than spending time with me.”

 

“So is that how it is with you then?” Draco asked and stood, receiving a blank look from Joseph and a warning look from Blaise. “When your relationship doesn’t go the way you want it to go, you give up and move onto the next guy?”

 

“For your information, I actually tried making things work with Harry, but all he was concerned with were his friends and made no effort on our relationship.” Joseph replied. “I believe that a relationship is over when either one of the two people involved stop trying to make things work, like what you did when you saw Krum kiss me.”

 

“Okay, that’s enough.” Blaise said, immediately getting between the two. “If you two are going to hex each other, can it wait until tomorrow?”

 

The two other Slytherins glared at each other, Joseph nodding after a few minutes and Draco returned to his bed. Joseph moved to his bed, grabbed his bag and placed a few presents in them. He then cast a spell on the rest of the presents in his trunk, and they levitated and one landed on each bed in the room.

 

Blasie said thank you, to which Joseph nodded in reply, and the taller Slytherin left the room. Draco stared at the beautifully wrapped box for a while before shoving it into the bottom of his trunk. He then began reading a book while Blaise sighed and shook his head.

 

**SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS**

Harry didn’t know what to expect since he’d never been to a party of teenage wizards and witches. In fact, he’d never been to an actual party at all, but he had read and heard things about them. Mostly, he wondered what kind of music would be playing. He was pleasantly surprised when he walked into the Great Hall with his friends and heard a catchy and fast tune with no lyrics.

 

“All this reminds me of a muggle club.” Hermione said over the music.

 

“Have you been to one?” Harry asked.

 

“No, but we passed a lot of them when my family and I had dinner.” She replied.

 

One thing Harry also found a pleasant surprise to was that everyone weren’t in robes; most were in casual pants and shirts from a wizarding shop, but the rest wore their muggle clothes, like Harry and Hermione. They were about to go look for a table when Viktor approached them, wearing tight, black jeans, and shirt, greeting Ron and Harry, before offering his arm to Hermione. The brunette said a quick goodbye to her friends and left with Viktor.

 

“I’m going to hang out with Seamus and Dean.” Ron muttered before heading the other way, making Harry sigh.

 

“Even after all the warnings; you’re still dumb enough to be on your own.” A voice said and Harry turned to look up at a smirking Joseph.

 

“Well, don’t you look handsome?” Harry asked with a smirk of his own. “I kinda feel underdressed now.”

 

While Harry chose to wear a simple red shirt and jeans, along with his necklace and the bracelet Joseph gave him this morning, Joseph was wearing a black dress shirt, both of the sleeves were folded to his elbows, and the top two buttons were undone, and also wore black, slim fitting jeans. The Slytherin’s hair wasn’t combed neatly to one side, as it always was; tonight, it was styled in a way that half of his left eye was being covered by a fringe. He also didn’t have his glasses on and it made Harry look at him differently; when Joseph had his glasses on, he was the serious and logical Slytherin who rarely showed any emotion. Now, as he looked at his friend, looking a way he’d never look on any normal day, with a playful smirk on his lips, it was like Harry was staring at another person.

 

 _You two are certainly an attractive couple._ Harry heard Cedric say and turned around to look for him, spotting the Hufflepuff leaning on a wall next to the drink and food table. _Try to remember that you’re MY boyfriend._

_Just because I’m attractive doesn’t mean I’m dumb._ Harry returned, seeing he made the brunette chuckle.

 

Harry took Joseph’s hand and led him to a table next to the wall, close to Cedric’s place.

 

“So, who are you and what have you done with Joseph Duskgem?” Harry asked and chuckled.

 

“That’s exactly what Blaise said when I came out of the bathroom looking like this.” Joseph chuckled. “And is it wrong for me to have a wild side?”

 

“This is your wild side?” Harry snorted. “It looks pretty tame.”

 

“Well, my real wild side…let’s just say it’s not suitable for other people to see.” Joseph whispered with a smirk. “Looks like we’re the centre of attention once again.”

 

Harry looked around and saw his friend was right; several people were watching them. Well, Malfoy was glaring daggers at him again, but the look he was giving seemed more intense than normal.

 

“What’s with Malfoy?” Harry asked.

 

“I think it’s because I never dressed like this when we went out.” Joseph chuckled, before sighing. “But, it’s most likely because of the fight we had earlier.”

 

“You guys fought? About what?” Harry asked and Joseph told Harry what happened in his dormitory that afternoon. “If this keeps up, I doubt there’ll be a chance of you two getting back together.”

 

“Yeah, well he was getting close to figuring out we aren’t a real couple. I was eventually going to have to do something to throw him off the scent.” Joseph admitted.

 

“People will probably expect us to dance together again.” Harry said.

 

“Well, they can watch whoever’s dancing.” Joseph replied. “We’re not show monkeys.”

 

“I thought we were supposed to do everything we can to make it look like we’re an actual couple?” Harry questioned.

 

“Yes, but just because we don’t dance with each other doesn’t mean we aren’t a real couple.” Joseph replied. “I just may not want to dance.”

 

“What about when we kissed earlier?”

 

“That was because I had given you a Christmas gift. It was expected.”

 

It was darker than normal in the Great Hall, but Harry could see the Slytherin’s blush on his pale cheeks.

 

“By the way you moved last night, I’m sure you could easily fake the moves tonight.” Harry said. “What’s going on?”

  
“Fine.” Joseph sighed. “I know how to dance formal dances, but I don’t know how to dance in…this setting.”

 

“Is that it?” Harry asked and took Joseph’s hand. “I’ll teach you.”

 

“Really, you’ve danced in a club before?” Joseph asked, but let Harry guide him.

 

“No, but it’s not that hard. Just listen to the beat, let your body relax, and move to the sound of the music.”

 

When they got to the dance floor, Harry began swaying back and forth to the beat of the music, smiling as he watched the usually composed Slytherin awkwardly move his body.

 

 

“Don’t think about doing moves that’ll impress the people watching.” Harry said. “The point of dancing at a party like this is to let loose and have fun.”

 

Harry took Joseph’s hands and placed them on his hips, placed his own hands on the taller raven’s shoulders, and began leading their movements. In a few minutes, Joseph got the hang of it and was able to dance without Harry leading. The song got faster and the two of them danced along, doing moves that made a lot of the girls squeal with delight. At the end, they were starting to sweat and panting heavily. They moved towards the table of drinks and got glasses of punch.

 

“Enjoyed the show?” Harry asked when Cedric approached.

 

“Let’s just say I have high expectations for your encore performance later this evening.” Cedric whispered with a smile. “You weren’t bad yourself, either Joseph.”

 

“Well, I had a great teacher.” Joseph said and wrapped an arm around Harry. “Anyone drunk yet?”

 

“No, but the Weasley twins are well on their way.” Cedric said and gestured to the table where Fred, George, and Lee looked like they were having the time of their lives by singing incoherently.

 

“I’d definitely like to rest my feet.” Harry said. “Sit with us, Ced.”

 

Cedric agreed and they got a table close to the drinks. They talked and watched as one by one; the older students got drunk and did stupid things before their friends carried them back to their common rooms. The crowd eventually dwindled and only a handful remained in the Great Hall by eleven.

 

“I guess I should escort Harry back to his common room so he can freshen up for you.” Joseph said with a smirk.

 

“That would be good.” Cedric said. “Although, I wouldn’t mind taking those clothes off myself.”

 

Harry slapped Cedric’s arm playfully and was about to stand with Joseph when someone approached their table.

 

“Nikolai, what’s wrong?” Joseph asked.

 

“It’s Viktor.” The Durmstrang student said. “He’s had a little too much to drink and there’s no one else who can help me bring him back to the ship. They’re either back at the ship, sleeping with someone, or too drunk to remember where the ship is.”

 

“Can’t you just levitate him yourself?” Harry asked.

 

“The Durmstrang ship is charmed and there’s a series of complicated charms to unlock the ship properly.” Joseph explained. “It would take too much out of Nikolai and he won’t have enough magic to carry Viktor back to his room.” The Bulgarian nodded in confirmation and Joseph sighed. “You don’t mind walking Harry back to his common room, do you Cedric?”

 

“No, I don’t mind.” Cedric replied. “But, are you sure..”

 

“Yes. It’s definitely more humane than to let him stumble and fall into the lake.” Joseph said. “I’ll see you tomorrow Harry.”

 

The Slytherin gave Harry a quick kiss on the cheek before following Nikolai to the other side of the Great Hall. Harry and Cedric walked out in silence, at a respectable distance, until they got to the staircase, and Cedric pulled in Harry for a long hug.

 

“Ced, as much as I like hugging you too, I’d really like to get out of these sweaty clothes.” Harry said with a chuckle.

 

“I don’t see why you should bother since you’re going to be sweating again soon enough.” Cedric returned with a smirk.

 

“I know, but I want to feel clean when you and I exchange our other gifts.” Harry said and he and Cedric began walking up the staircases. “So, is it wise for us just to let Joseph help bring a drunk Viktor to his room? I saw him while we were dancing, and it looked like he was on the fence of whether to glare or thank us for giving something to think about when he’s lonely and horny.”

 

“You guys were hot. I had to resist the strong urge to go to the bathroom and relieve myself.” Cedric returned and Harry lightly smacked his arm. “Look, Joseph can take care of himself. And I’m pretty sure Nikolai is aware of the status of their relationship, or he would’ve come to Joseph earlier.”

 

“I guess.” Harry nodded when they arrived in front of the Fat Lady. “I’ll just be a short while.”

 

Harry entered the common room and walked quickly to his dormitory. He had a quick shower, got into some comfortable clothes and just before leaving, he summoned Dobby and had him bring his gifts, as well as a few snacks, to the Astronomy Tower. He then met Cedric and they both walked to the Astronomy Tower, transfiguring some things into a two-seater couch and coffee table when they got there.

 

“This one’s for you.” Cedric said as he handed a small box to Harry. “It’s from Cho.”

 

Harry opened it and found a pin of the Montrose Magpies.

 

“Cho really has a good feeling about them this year.” Cedric said. “But, I still think the Bangers will still win the National Cup this year.”

 

“Well, I hope you’re around when Ron decides to talk to me about the Canons.” Harry said. “You two can argue and I’ll get to go on with my day.”

 

Harry chuckled and handed the brunette a box, and found the books of Sherlock Holmes inside. The next few minutes were spent opening gifts; Cedric got Harry two other dress robes, a book on animagi, and some very rare comics.

 

“You went to a comic book store?” Harry asked with a smile.

 

“It was a strange, yet enlightening experience.” Cedric answered. “I learned that asking what comic book series was the best would start a fight in places like that.”

 

“Well, I really love all of these. Thank you.” Harry said and kissed Cedric, before handing the Hufflepuff his gifts. Cedric first opened the sweaters, which he was glad to have, since he’d outgrown his other ones. He was surprised, but glad Harry had gotten him a cassette player.

 

“I’ve always wondered how these things worked.” Cedric admitted.

 

“Well, I’m just glad you didn’t act the same way Mr. Weasley would have if I’d gotten him the same thing.” Harry joked.

 

Cedrc then opened the box containing the Sherlock Holmes books, followed by the box with the Honeydukes label on it.

 

“Thank you for all the gifts Harry.” Cedric said and kissed Harry on the cheek as he set down the box of Quidditch supplies.

 

“You’re welcome.” Harry said. “But there’s one last thing I wanted to give you.”

 

“Is it something long and hard?” Cedric asked with a smirk

 

“Yes.” Harry nodded. “It’s also wooden, and fifty-eight inches tall.”

 

Cedric looked wide-eyed at the Gryffindor, who chuckled and summoned the Firebolt, which was hidden underneath his invisibility cloak.

 

“Harry…this is all too much. Besides, I don’t need a new broom.” Cedric said.

 

“Come on, at least three times a year, we should be able to spoil each other.” Harry said, making Cedric look at him.

 

“Fine, I’ll accept this because it’s from you.” Cedric said.

 

“Also because it’s one of the best brooms in the market.” Harry chuckled.

 

“Also, we both agree from now that we get to spoil each other three times a year. Those days being our birthdays, anniversary, and Christmas.”

 

Harry agreed and smiled when Cedric went to try his new Firebolt. The Hufflepuff returned minutes later and pulled Harry for a deep kiss.

 

“So, I’m guessing today was a good Christmas?” Harry asked. “Even if you had to watch me grind against someone who spent the rest of his night trying to get a drunken Bulgarian into bed?”

 

“I just pictured you grinding against me, obviously.” Cedric returned with a smile. “And besides, I don’t care as long as you’re with me at the end of the day.”

 

Cedric was about to close the gap between him and Harry, when a grey owl landed on the coffee table.

 

“Artemis?” Cedric asked and Harry raised an eyebrow. “She’s my mother’s owl.”

 

Upon closer inspection, Cedric saw a small box with a note. It was from Cedric’s mother, but it was addressed to Harry.

 

_Harry,_

_Cedric informed me of what Professor Dumbledore asked you to do and I must commend you for being very mature and responsible. While you two have been competing, I’ve taken on the extremely difficult task of trying to get Amos to come around to the idea of Cedric dating men and eventually, you. It has been fruitless so far, but I won’t stop. Although you and Joseph pretending to be together may help in the future if I get Amos to see reason. Regardless of what he thinks, I will always be here for you and Ced. My thoughts are with you both._

_Andrea Diggory_

While Cedric read the letter, Harry opened the box and found a small note beside a golden signet ring with two lions facing each other.

 

_This is the Potter family signet ring. It has been passed onto the head of the family from generation to generation. The two lions on the ring represent your father and mother. The first time you put it on, the other lion may change, depending on who your partner is, or the entire thing may change._

Harry stared at it for a while before wearing it on his pinkie. He watched in astonishment as the lion on the right side turned into a badger, and smiled.

 

“Your mother knows how to pick great gifts.” Harry said.

 

“Yeah.” Cedric agreed, slowly putting down the note.

 

“You’re worried.” Harry stated and Cedric nodded.

 

“I don’t want them to fight because of this, Harry.” Cedric said. “They may disagree about a lot of things, but they do love each other.”

 

Harry held Cedric’s hand and made the Hufflepuff look at him.

 

“We don’t have to tell him as soon as the year is over.” Harry said. “We’ll talk to Hermione and Joseph and see if we can find a way to make it so he and your mother don’t argue too much.” Cedric opened his mouth to protest, but Harry shook his head. “It’s fine Cedric. I’m willing to wait until you’re completely comfortable with coming out to him. But when we do and he disapproves of us, you shouldn’t blame yourself if he and your mother fight. She wants you to be happy, and you should be. You deserve to be.”

 

“When did you get so smart?” Cedric asked with a smile as he cupped Harry’s face.

 

“Well last year, I met this kind, handsome, and intelligent person who’s supported me ever since. Not to mention, he also helped me get together with my boyfriend.” Harry joked and kissed Cedric tenderly for a few minutes before pulling away slightly and staring into the older teens happy, grey eyes. “I love you, Cedric.

 

“Love you too, Harry.”


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings everyone. I apologise for the lateness of this chapter. Towards the latter half of March, I got extremely busy with work. Not to mention it was my birthday, so I spent that week attending parties and seeing old friends again, and getting nothing done.
> 
> I will still be bust for the next month or so, but I will probably be able to start updating again in my usual pace by the latter half of April. Until then, I will still be upholding my policy of updating once a month.
> 
> Thank you all again for your patience and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**Chapter 28: Questions and Mysteries**

The fourth year Slytherin boys were enjoying a quiet morning in their dormitory. There was tension due to Draco and Joseph's argument the previous day, but they stayed civil out of respect for Blaise, who was so hungover that a pin dropping would make him react as if a gun was fired next to his ear. Blaise doesn't drink, but after being rejected by ten drunk girls, he decided yo start. Unfortunately for him, he was drunk by his third glass, and they couldn't ask for a hangover cure or it'll look suspicious.

 

Everyone was quietly doing their own things, mostly using some of the gifts they had received yesterday. Draco moved to retrieve something from his trunk when he noticed the simply wrapped gift from Joseph he shoved inside it after their fight. He slowly brought it out and unwrapped it, opening the box and found a photograph of the entire team of Puddlemere United, Draco's favourite team, and on the back were individual messages from all the players wishing Draco a Merry Christmas, and some encouragements to keep flying. Now he felt like an arse since Joseph put great thought into his gift, even though they weren't together anymore, while Draco had someone look for something that his friend might like, based on his interests.

 

Picking up the gift, he quietly moved towards Joseph's bed, where the raven was reading a book that he received by owl this morning. Pansy said there was no name on the card, just the large letter C. Joseph looked up once Draco stopped at the foot of his bed and the two just stared at each other silently.

 

"If you two are going to hex each other, do it as far away from me as possible." Blaise said and returned to covering his head with his pillow.

 

"Can we talk?" Draco asked, and Joseph nodded while he moved a little and patted the space next to him.

 

Draco sa next to Joseph and with a flick of the taller teen's wand, the curtains were drawn shut and privacy spells were casted.

 

"Thank you." Draco said, gesturing to the photograph.

 

"You're welcome." Joseph said with a nod.

 

"And I'm sorry about yesterday." Draco apologised. "You were right, you know. As soon as I saw Krum kiss you, I thought you stopped caring about me, and didn't even consider talking to you."

 

"So, why apologise now?" Joseph asked, setting his book down next to him.

 

"Well seeing your gift, it made me realise how stupid I was." Draco said. "You put so much thought into your gift and we're not even dating anymore. I, on the other hand, had father's secretary look for something that you might like."

 

Draco sat there, staring at the bedspread, when he felt Joseph wrap an arm around his shoulders and pull him into a hug. It was always like this; whenever Draco was upset over something and Joseph didn't know what to say, which was a rarity, he'd hug the blonde, and that would make it all feel better. Draco leaned all of his weight towards the raven, making them both lie down. Draco didn't mean for that to happen, but he didn't care. He let all his frustrations out, along with the pain, regret, and anger he had been feeling in the past few weeks.

 

"Better?" Joseph asked after a few minutes of silence, and Draco nodded.

 

He began to move away from Joseph, but immediately felt the arm around his waist tighten it's hold. He looked up and saw those pair of amber eyes staring at him intently.

 

"Won't your boyfriend get angry with you when he finds out about this?" Draco asked as he placed his head on Joseph's chest.

 

"He knows about our relationship." Joseph simply answered. "And who says he's going to find out?"

 

"What, is there trouble in paradise already?" Draco asked with a smirk.

 

"As much as you want to believe there is, there is none." Joseph said. "Harry and I respect each other's privacy. He's free to do whatever he likes with his friends, so long as he doesn't cheat on me, and I can do the same."

 

Draco nodded and pursed his lips. Joseph noticed and took a hold Draco's hand.

 

"What's wrong?" He asked. "And don't say that it's nothing because I know it's not."

 

"I'm just worried." Draco sighed. "I'm worried that if you keep hanging around Potter and his friends, you'll stop hanging around me."

 

"I dated Harry last year and sat next to Hermione since the first day of Ancient Runes. I didn't stop then, right?" Joseph asked and Draco shook his head. "And I won't in the future. Dray, even when we have families of our own, I'll still find time for you."

 

Draco nodded as he looked at his friend, who was looking at him with sincerity in his eyes. He hadn’t seen that expression since the day they got together in Berlin. He had the strong urge to press together their lips, even though he was very opposed to the idea. His brain, however, was no longer in control of his body. The raven’s lips felt soft and simply perfect. Draco waited for Joseph to push him away the first few seconds, but he didn’t. What surprised the blonde more was when he felt the arm around his waist tighten and Joseph kiss back. It was a minute later when things were starting to heat up when Joseph reluctantly pulled away.

 

“I can’t…” He said as he looked away.

 

“It’s not your fault.” Draco said in between pants. “I kissed you.”

 

Draco slowly got up and just as he was about to leave, he felt Joseph’s fingers wrap around his wrist.

 

“If things were different…”Joseph began, but Draco cut him off by shaking his head.

 

“I know.” Draco said with a nod and a quick smile. He placed a quick kiss on the taller Slytherin’s cheek before leaving.

 

* * *

 

 “So, how are you dealing with your boyfriend snogging your friend?” Cho asked while she and Cedric were at the Owlery.

 

“They’re not snogging.” Cedric replied as he tied a letter to Archie’s leg and sent the owl flying. “And I’m handling it well enough. I mean, I know it’s just a front and when they do these romantic things or kiss, they don’t feel anything for each other.”

 

“But?” Cho asked.

 

“But at the same time, I get worried.” Cedric sighed. “Joseph’s single, Harry may start liking him that way and see that he’s the better partner.”

 

“Ced, you’re overreacting.” Cho said. “Harry loves you so much, that’s extremely clear. If he didn’t, he would’ve been in Joseph’s bed after grinding against each other. I mean, who wouldn’t have?”

 

“Thanks.” Cedric said sarcastically, but smiled.

 

Cho was right and he was worrying over nothing. Now, he had more pressing issues to worry about like solving the Golden Egg. He had about a month and a half left, and he still hasn’t got any idea on where to start. Deciding that he wasn’t going to solve anything by merely mulling over his lack of information, he excused himself and headed for the library. Due to force of habit, he headed for the back and placed his bag on the table, he, Harry, and Joseph would sit at. He stood there for a while, feeling a little strange at not seeing the other two. Remembering that Harry was with Hermione and assuming that Joseph was still dealing with the backlash of his “relationship” with Harry in the Slytherin dorms, Cedric went to look for some books he thought would help with solving the egg.

 

He skimmed a shelf filled with books of magical creatures, since he thought the screaming could have been indicating the next thing they’d be facing. As he was about to return to his spot with an armful of books, he heard his Slytherin friend’s name and couldn’t help but listen in on the supposedly private conversation.

 

“And why do you think I’d want to discuss Joseph with you?” A voice asked.

 

“You’re the last person I’d ever want to talk about this with, Nott.” Malfoy said with a glare. “But, you’re the only person I can talk to about this, as much as I hate to admit it.”

 

Cedric watched as the two Slytherins glared at each other before Nott sighed.

 

"Fine." The brunette said, sounding somewhat annoyed. "You kissed him, and he pushed you away, instead of hexing you. What's wrong with that?"

 

"It's because he didn't push me away immediately. He even started to kiss back." Draco said. "It was only a minute later when things were heating up that he stopped."

 

"So what's wrong with that? He was in love with you for the longest time." Nott replied. "And your relationship ended kind of abruptly. It's natural to have lingering feelings."

 

"Don't you think it's weird that his first instinct wasn't to push me away?" Draco asked. "Joseph, all loyal and devoted. The one who wouldn't go on a date with you while we were in Germany."

 

Cedric wanted to chuckle at the nearly comical look on Nott's face, but bit his tongue, despite the fact that the brunette's pale face turned red with anger.

 

“Fine, it is weird, but it’s you who kissed him.” Nott said. “Joseph’s relationship with you will always be different from his other friends, and his boyfriend.”

 

“So, you’re saying I’m special to him?” Draco smirked.

 

“I’m not admitting to saying anything.” Nott replied.

 

“There’s one other thing, though.” Draco said, his triumphant smirk turning into a small frown. “Before I left his bed, he stopped me and said that if things were different, we’d be together again.”

 

Nott didn’t reply. He had no idea what to say to that. Cedric too was speechless, but for a different reason; Joseph risked exposing the true nature of his and Harry’s relationship by saying that to Malfoy. But he wasn’t mad with Joseph, he was actually sad for him. If he and Harry weren’t in their fake relationship, he could be with the person he has real feelings for. The sound of footsteps brought him out of his thoughts. He saw Malfoy and Nott leave, and he returned to his table to find Harry there.

 

“Hey.” Harry greeted with a smile.

 

“Hey.” Cedric greeted back, and kissed Harry’s cheek.

 

“Those are to help you with the egg?” Harry asked, gesturing to the books.

 

“Yeah.” Cedric nodded, and set the books down.

 

“What’s wrong?” Harry asked when he noticed Cedric blankly staring at the books.

 

Cedric looked at his boyfriend for a few seconds before sighing, and telling him what Malfoy and Nott were talking about a few minutes ago. After he was done, both of them were silent. Cedric was about to say something when they heard footsteps approaching, and Joseph arrived, looking at the pair with an arched eyebrow.

 

“What’s going on?” Joseph asked.

 

“Well, Ced just told me that he overheard Malfoy and Nott talking about how you and Malfoy kissed earlier.” Harry said.

 

“Yes, we kissed, for a minute or so.” Joseph said with a sigh. “But I pulled away. Draco won’t get too far if he tries to look into this.”

 

“Well, we weren’t worried about Malfoy finding out.” Cedric said. “We were worried about you.”

 

“How so?” Joseph asked.

 

“We know that you still love Malfoy, don’t try to deny it.” Harry said. “If we weren’t in in a ‘relationship,’ you’d probably be with him by now.”

 

“Yes, my feelings for Draco are still as strong as they were when I realised I had fallen for him and yes, the two of us would probably still be in bed snogging if it weren’t for our situation.” Joseph said, making his two friends smile slightly. “But it’s fine, honestly. I’m going to stick to our plan to the very end, no matter how hard it may get.”

 

“Yeah, but what about you and Malfoy?” Harry asked.

 

“If, by the end of all this, he still has feelings for me, then great.” Joseph replied, not sounding too optimistic. “But if he doesn’t, I’ll eventually get over him and find someone else.” Harry opened his mouth to say something, but Joseph cut him off. “You should know by now that I’m not the kind of person who believes in true love, Harry. I believe that there are couples who are a perfect fit for each other, like the two of you. I also believe there are people who need to work harder to make relationships work. In either case, both people need to exert effort in making things work. In the end, you’ll find that both relationships are worth it.”

 

“So, you’re alright?” Cedric asked.

 

“Yes, I’m fine. I’m used to suppressing feelings and emotions.” Joseph said with a smirk. “How goes the mystery of the golden egg?”

 

  
“Still that; a mystery.” Harry sighed. “Even Ced hasn’t figured it out.”

 

“Well, knowing Karkaroff, Viktor’s probably solved it by now.” Joseph said, his face becoming expressionless.

 

Harry noticed that as soon as Joseph was comfortable with him and Cedric, he’d laugh, joke around, and smile, mostly smirk, more. But when topics like Malfoy, Viktor, or anything he was uncomfortable with came up, the Slytherin would hide behind his mask again.

 

“I was thinking that the screeching could be some sort of creature, and that we’d have to face those things in the next task.” Cedric said, quickly trying to shift topics. “I thought that since it’s an egg, maybe it’s a creature that lays eggs.”

 

“Well that narrows it down.” Harry said sarcastically before smiling and placing a kiss on the brunette’s cheek.

 

“But it’s a sound theory and considering both of you have nothing else to go on, I say go with it.” Joseph said. “Try flying or reptilian creatures. Most of them reproduce by laying eggs.”

 

“Alright, thanks.” Cedric said. “You’re not going to help?”

 

“You’re the champions, not me. Do your own work.” Joseph said, smirking at Harry’s defeated look.

 

The next month consisted of Cedric, Harry, and Joseph, and occasionally Hermione or Cho, meeting in the library, helping the two champions try to figure out how to crack the egg. Cedric was heading for the prefects’ bathroom, burnt out from reading nearly an entire book on reptilian creatures. As he turned a corner, he ran into Professor Moody.

 

“Goode evening, professor.” He greeted.

 

“Diggory.” Moody greeted back with a nod. “Any luck figuring out what the next task is?”

 

“Unfortunately, no sir.” Cedric sighed.

 

He expected to get scolded by the professor for not working hard enough, but he watched as the former auror’s electric-blue eye whirl around, before the professor leaned closer to him.

 

“Open the egg underwater and listen to it.” Moody whispered before he left.

 

Cedric stared after him, wondering how he should feel about a professor blatantly breaking the rules and helping him. He wondered if Dumbledore had something to do with this. Then again, Karkaroff and Maxime weren’t playing by the rules either. He continued towards the prefects’ bathroom and once he got there, turned on the faucets and began taking his clothes off.

 

He felt his muscles relax as soon as he got into the water. He began wading around for a while before he settled at one side and thought about what Moody had told him. He didn’t like cheating or breaking rules, but he decided to take the Defence professor’s advice so that he and Harry can prepare for what’s coming.

 

He summoned the Egg and took a deep breath before plunging into the water and opening the egg. He was surprised he rather than terrible screeches, he heard a beautiful voice singing. It sang;

 

_Come seek us where our voices sound,_

_We cannot sing above the ground,_

_And while you're searching, ponder this;_

_We've taken what you'll sorely miss,_

_An hour long you'll have to look,_

_And recover what we took,_

_But past an hour — the prospect's black,_

_Too late, it's gone, it won't come back._

Cedric came up for air, but catching his breath wasn’t his first priority. He shut the Egg and immediately headed towards his bag. He took out _Hogwarts: A History_ and skimmed the first few chapter when he found the passage that told how the four founders made a deal with the merpeople of the Black Lake.

 

_So we’re going into the Black Lake to retrieve something the merpeople took_. Cedric thought to himself. _Something we’d hate losing. I’d probably hate losing anything Harry’s given me, the necklace, most of all._

After bathing for a few more minutes Cedric got out and headed to his dorm. He was disappointed when he found out Harry was already asleep, but decided he’ll tell him tomorrow. He spent the rest of the evening trying to figure out what item the merpeople will take from him.

 

* * *

 

Draco and his friends were doing the assigned essay for potions in the library. Even after the kiss, things seemed to have gone back to normal; there was no more tension within their group, and Joseph had returned to hanging out with them again more often. The only chaos present was inside Draco; the blonde was still fixated on his kiss with Joseph, and how he wasn’t pushed back immediately.

 

“Honestly, Snape will be the death of us.” Pansy complained.

 

“Why don’t you try using your brain instead of your mouth to do your work this time?” Joseph suggested, making his friends snicker and Pansy glare at him.

 

“Don’t be so sore just because you’re no longer Snape’s favourite.” Pansy returned. “You brought this on yourself, dating Potter of all people.”

 

“So we’re going to talk about that now?” Blaise asked as he set down his quill. “I guess I could use a break.”

 

“From what, writing one paragraph that you paraphrased from mine?” Theo asked.

 

“And we’re not talking about my relationship with Harry.” Joseph said.

 

“I’ll never get used to someone from Slytherin calling Potter by his first name.” Daphne stated with a chuckle. “Still, I guess I can see why the two of them are together.” Everyone then focus their attention at her. “Well while Joseph is the calm, analytical, and smart one, Potter’s an impulsive, laidback, easygoing kind of person. They might have few similar interests, but they complement each other perfectly.”

 

“Probably why he liked Krum too.” Blaise interjected.

 

“For the record, none of those things are the reason why I’m with Harry, or why I got together with Krum. In both cases, we met in the library, continued meeting each other in the library and got to know one another.” Joseph replied. “And Harry’s more intelligent than you all make him out to be. Weasley’s just a bad influence on him.”

 

Joseph stared in confusion as half of his friends tried to keep themselves from chuckling, and then he sighed when he realised that he’d been roped into talking about Harry. Knowing his friends would get some information and deciding that he’d rather have control of what information they get, he relented and let his friends ask all the questions they wanted. The next half an hour consisted of questions about what Joseph liked and disliked about Harry, what they did on dates, and Blaise getting hexed every time he asked something inappropriate. Those minutes for Draco were like hell. He really wanted to be happy for his friend but to him, something just didn’t feel right about all this.

 

“What did you do on your best date with Potter?” Daphne asked, making everyone shift their attention to the tallest Slytherin

 

“Well, I met him in a park.” Joseph said after a short silence. “We had a picnic, and we just sat there and talked.”

 

“That’s it?” Pansy asked in disbelief.

 

“You don’t have to spend an extravagant amount of money on a date to make it romantic.” Joseph replied. “Besides, it doesn’t matter where you are or what you do. As long as you’re with the right person, you won’t want to be anywhere else.”

 

All the girls, save for Milicent, gave a dreamy sigh while Blaise and Theo looked at the raven with confusion.

 

“Who are you, and what have you done with the emotionless stick in the mud we have for a friend?” Blaise jokingly asked, making Joseph roll his eyes.

 

“Now if there are no more questions, can we get back to the essay?” He asked.

 

“I have a question.” Draco said and everyone turned to him. “Do you love him?”

 

And with that, the tense atmosphere, that everyone was thankful had passed, had returned.

 

“What?” Joseph asked back.

 

“Do you love Potter?” Draco returned.

 

Draco and Joseph stared at each other, while their friends looked back and forth between. After a short silence, Joseph asked Draco to come with him and they left the library.

 

“What was that all about?” Joseph asked when they were far enough from the door so their friends couldn’t hear.

 

“I simply asked if you loved Potter.” Draco replied.

 

“It’s a little soon for me to be able to answer that.” Joseph said.

 

“Why? I’m pretty sure you know when you love someone or not, since you fell in love with that muggle.” Draco said.

 

“Daniel.” Joseph corrected.

 

“And you dated Potter last year, so you getting back together with him indicate that you still have feelings for him.” Draco added. “Are they feelings of love?”

 

“I have strong feelings for Harry.” Joseph said.

 

“That doesn’t answer my question.” Draco replied, his mouth turning into a frown.

 

“It’s not like I can answer that now.” Joseph said. “We’ve only been back together for a few months.”

 

“Fine, how about something you might be able to answer?” Draco suggested. “Do you still love me?”

 

“Dray…” Joseph began, but the blonde cut him off.

 

“No. No talking your way out of this one.” He said. “Do you still love me?”

 

“Yes, I do.” Joseph admitted after some silence.

 

“Then why are you still with Potter?” Draco asked, his body starting shake. “Is it because you hate me for how I ended things last time?”

 

“No, of course not.” Joseph replied immediately.

 

“Do you love him more than me?” Draco asked.

 

His question was followed by silence, and he told himself not to lose control of his emotions, not now.

 

“Fine.” He said and began heading towards the dungeons.

 

“Draco, it’s not like that.” Joseph said, grabbing Draco by the wrist. “It’s extremely complicated to explain.”

 

“If you can’t give me a straight answer to my question first, then I don’t want to hear it.” Draco said as he pulled away from the raven’s grasp.

 

Joseph watched as Draco quickly paced down the hall, the twinge he felt in his chest becoming more painful as the blonde got further away.

 

_All I can do now hope that you’ll eventually understand._ Joseph thought with a sigh before returning to the library.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter! So the reason for this update being published so soon after the previous one is because this story has recently gotten its 100th review on FF.net, which is my main account, and nearly halfway there here on AO3. I'd like to thank all of you for your support for me and this story.
> 
> Sadly, I will be very busy for the next three weeks, so the next update may not come as quickly. Fear not, for this speedy update is not only what I have in store for you all; as part of my thanks, I've written, and nearly finished, a Cedric/Harry one-shot, which I will publish by the end of the week.
> 
> Every time I read one of your reviews, I remember this quote by Uncle Iroh from the Legend of Aang; "while it is best to believe in one's self, a little help from others can be a great blessing." All of your reviews have been great blessings to me and has been a great source of inspiration and motivation. So again, I thank you all for your support, and hope you enjoy this new chapter.

****Chapter 29: Treasures & Memories** **

****

****

Cedric was walking back from the Owlery when he spotted Harry and Hermione talking. He should tell Harry about the egg now, but there were too many other people. Thinking of a way as to not make anyone suspicious, he slowly walked over to the two Gryffindors.

 

“Potter.” Cedric called.

 

“Cedric.” Harry greeted his boyfriend in a neutral tone.

 

“Any luck figuring out the egg?” Cedric asked.

 

“No, and Hermione’s already nagging me about it.” Harry sighed.

 

“I guessed, but you know the Prefects’ Bathroom on the fifth floor?” Cedric asked.

 

“Yeah” Harry replied with a nod.

 

“It’s not a bad place for a bath.” Cedric whispered. “The password is __pine fresh__. Just take your egg and mull things over in the hot water.”

 

With that, Cedric left and Harry stared after his boyfriend as if he’d gone insane. Despite that, he decided to take the Hufflepuff’s advice, and headed for the Prefects’ Bathroom that night. Once he entered the bathroom, he began taking his clothes off and got into the water. As he felt his muscles relax, Harry thought it was rather unfair that prefects had this palatial bathroom, but it was kind of motivating him to try to become one.

 

After soaking in the water for a few minutes, Harry grabbed his egg from his bag. He spent the next five minutes thinking about what Cedric meant. He thought of opening the egg while it was on the water, but thought he’d rather not get caught, in case there was a teacher close by. He was about to give up and leave when he heard the door opening. In a state of panic, Harry took a deep breath and went under the water, but accidentally opened the egg. He was about to just reveal himself since he thought the screams would give him away, but he heard a pleasant singing voice coming from the egg. It sang;

 

__Come seek us where our voices sound,_ _

__We cannot sing above the ground,_ _

__And while you're searching, ponder this;_ _

__We've taken what you'll sorely miss,_ _

__An hour long you'll have to look,_ _

__And recover what we took,_ _

__But past an hour — the prospect's black,_ _

__Too late, it's gone, it won't come back._ _

__

“Finally solved it, then?” A familiar voice chuckled.

 

Harry was about to turn and yell at his boyfriend for nearly giving him a heart attack, but his words were lost when he saw the older teen in his tight boxers.

 

“Well, I couldn’t have done it without your help.” Harry muttered instead.

 

“Well, then as a reward, can I join you?” Cedric asked as he inched closer to the pool-like tub.

 

“Does it matter if I say no?” Harry asked, but gestured for Cedric to get in.

 

With the blink of an eye, Cedric was completely naked and he got into the tub, getting his entire body wet before moving towards the Gryffindor. The two then spent the next few minutes discussing the merpeople and tried to figure out what they were going to take.

 

“As long as it’s not the photo album, I’m good.” Harry said.

 

“Well, I don’t want anything you’ve given me to be taken.” Cedric said.

 

“But mostly the Firebolt.” Harry said with a smirk, making the brunette splash some water at his face. “I guess looking for a creature was the right thing to do.”

 

“Yeah, about that.” Cedric began nervously. “Last night when I was on my way here, I bumped into Professor Moody, who asked if I’d already figured out what the Second Task was. I said no and I thought he was going to scold me for not doing so. Instead, he told me to listen to the egg underwater.”

 

“Wait, Professor Moody told you the answer, just like that?” Harry asked.

 

“I know. I thought maybe Dumbledore put him up to it. Maxime and Karkaroff aren’t exactly playing fair.” Cedric said.

 

“What I’m more surprised about is that you actually took his advice, thus breaking the rules.” Harry said.

 

“Well, it’s only a few weeks until Second Task and I didn’t want either of us to go into it unprepared.” Cedric said and Harry nodded. “For now, we need to find a way for you to breathe underwater for an hour.”

 

“For me? What about you?” Harry asked.

 

“I already know how to cast the Bubble-Head Charm.” Cedric replied. “Basically, it creates a bubble around the head, mostly the nose and mouth, and it provides a supply of oxygen. It’s mostly used for underwater exploration, or to avoid bad odours.”

 

“Can’t you teach it to me?” Harry asked.

 

“Harry, it’s a really advanced spell. It’ll take more than a few weeks for you to learn how to properly cast it.” Cedric replied. “Even if we had sufficient time, it’d be suspicious for you to use a spell students only hear and learn about in their fifth year.”

 

“Well, maybe I studied ahead. Charms is one of my favourite subjects.” Harry said, but sighed and leaned his head on Cedric’s shoulder.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll help.” Cedric said as he pulled Harry into a hug. “Not to mention, we have three brainiacs for friends.”

 

Harry looked up and smiled at his boyfriend, glad to have someone who knew exactly how to make him feel better. They stayed for a few more minutes before getting out of the tub, and parting ways for the night

 

* * *

 

"There's got to be something." Hermione said as she skimmed through a large book.

 

"There must be some kind of potion that can help me breathe underwater." Harry said to Joseph.

 

"There is, but it doesn't last an hour, and it'll take at least three months for me to experiment on it." Joseph replied.

 

"Do you think you can become an animagus by the Second Task?" Cedric asked.

 

"Even if he did, he'd still have to go through the long process of registering." Hermione said.

 

"And we have no assurance that his animagus form will be able to breathe underwater." Cho added

 

"I'm doomed." Harry groaned.

 

"Everything is going to be fine Harry, we'll find a way." Cedric said as he wrapped an arm around Harry.

 

"The Second Task is in two days, Ced." Harry pointed out, burying his face in the brunette's neck.

 

"And everything will be fine, I promise." Cedric assured his boyfriend.

 

The next few minutes were spent in silence, save for the turning of pages and Cedric's calming voice.

 

"Better?" Cedric asked when Harry began pulling away.

 

"Yes." Harry nodded and placed a quick kiss on the Hufflepuff's lips. "Thank you."

 

"Come on, you need rest more than all of us." Joseph said to Harry. "I'll walk you to your common room."

 

Harry nodded and placed a quick kiss in Cedric's cheek before gathering his things, and walking out of the library with Joseph. He felt the taller raven's fingers interlace with his as they walked past a group of girls.

 

"You don't have to keep doing this." Harry said. "I'm pretty sure we've convinced everyone we’re together by now."

 

"Well you know how girls are; they like to exaggerate." Joseph replied. "They see us not holding hands when I'm walking you back to your common room, they'll say we're having problems."

 

"Just admit it, you're worried about me and wanted to comfort me." Harry said.

 

"Would it be so bad if I did?" Joseph asked back.

 

"So you are worried?" Harry asked.

 

"Of course I am. You're in a tournament that not even seventh year students could be prepared to face."  Joseph explained, his face showing worry.

 

"Hey, everything is going to be fine." Harry said as they stopped in front of the portrait of the Fat Lady.

 

"How do you know? We're two days away from the Second Task, and you still don't have a way to breathe underwater." Joseph sighed.

 

"I don't know, but I believe we'll find a way." Harry said. "With everyone's help, I'm sure we'll find something by then."

 

"Good thing you know." Joseph said, his worried expression quickly reverting to the original blank one.

 

"What?" Harry asked confused.

 

"We're doing everything we can to help you find a way to survive the next task." Joseph said. "So stop worrying."

 

Harry stared at the taller raven for a few seconds before smiling and hugging him.

 

“You’re going to make it out of this tournament alive.” Joseph said. “You’ve survived encounters with a Basilisk, a giant Acromantula and a thousand of its children, a werewolf, a dragon, around a hundred dementors, as well as three encounters with the Dark Lord. We will never forgive you if you survived all that only to drown in the Black Lake.”

 

“Thank you.” Harry returned with a smile. “Malfoy and Krum were idiots to let someone like you get away.”

 

They pulled away and Harry placed a short kiss on Joseph’s cheek. They had taken to doing that in the past month instead of shoving their tongues into each other’s mouths to convince people they were together.. It started out meaningless, but it eventually became one of the gestures Harry used to show his gratitude to not only Joseph, but to Hermione and Cho as well. The Slytherin was a little surprised when Harry first did it after he helped the Gryffindor with another Potions essay, but he got used to it.

 

“Get some rest. The next few days are going to be long ones.” Joseph said before heading down the stairs

 

“He’s a sweet young man.” The Fat Lady remarked.

 

“That he is.” Harry agreed and headed for his dorm.

 

* * *

 

Draco was sitting on one of the lounge chairs in the common room, glaring holes into the book he was trying to read, while his friends kept asking Joseph if Potter had figured out what the Second Task was, which was taking place in two days. Of course Joseph refused to divulge any information, but that only made his friends ask over and over again, which annoyed Draco to no end.

 

But what had him in his foul mood wasn’t his friends being annoying or that they were talking about Potter, it’s was the fact that Joseph, after admitting he still had feelings for him, didn’t seem at all affected about Draco not wanting to talk to him. In the classes where they sat next to each other, they’d exchange courteous nods before focusing on their work. During meal times, Blaise and Theo sat in between them now, but the raven appeared as if that’s how they’ve sat since their first year. Getting fed up he shut his book and approached his friends.

 

“Can I talk to you?” Draco asked Joseph, who nodded.

 

Draco headed for their dorm and once there, got onto Joseph’s bed. It was a force of habit and he was just about to get up when his friend got onto the bed as well. They pulled the curtains shut and cast Silencing charms.

 

“What’s wrong?” Joseph asked.

 

“I couldn’t focus on what I was reading because of you.” Draco said.

 

“I’m sorry, but I can’t control our friends.” Joseph replied. “I can’t control how loud they talk, either.”

 

“I wasn’t talking about tonight.” Draco said. “Why aren’t you more bothered about what happened? You said you still love me, you couldn’t explain why you were staying with Potter, and I didn’t want to talk to you anymore after that. Why are you going around acting like nothing’s happened?”

 

“I can’t tell you.” Joseph replied.

 

“I know we aren’t dating anymore, but I’m still your friend, right?” Draco asked.

 

“You are.” Joseph immediately replied, placing his hands gently on the blonde’s shoulders.

 

“You just seem like this different person. Other than the fact that you had feelings for me, we told each other everything.” Draco said, he could feel his anger rising as he realised what the main reason for his friend’s changes were. “Everything’s been different since Potter.”

 

“Draco, things are just too complicated. It’d take more than one sitting for me to tell you what’s going on and have you understand.” Joseph replied. “And Harry’s not the one to blame here.”

 

“Enough with this talk about Potter! That’s all everyone seems to talk about now!.” Draco exclaimed, losing control of his anger. “He’s all you seem to talk about now.”

 

“He and I are together.” Joseph said.

 

“Well why don’t you just go and be with him all the time then? Why still bother coming to us, when we clearly dislike your __precious little Harry__.” Draco returned.

 

As he grabbed his book to leave, something fell out; it was the picture of the two of them when they were younger at the minister’s party, the one Draco found after his argument with Joseph the previous year before Buckbeak was executed.

 

“Draco, please just give me time. I’ll eventually explain everything.” Joseph said, taking the photo and holding it out to the blonde. “Just…please trust me.”

 

Draco couldn’t feel anything but anger towards everything at this point. He told himself to leave before he did or said something he’d regret, but his emotions were in control now.

 

“Trust you? How can you expect me to do that when I, who has known you since we were kids, don’t recognise you anymore?” Draco asked. “But it doesn’t matter who you were friends with, right? You and Potter will go make new happy memories.”

 

With that, he snatched up the old photograph and tore it into tiny pieces. As the fragments fell into a pile in front of him, Draco looked at Joseph, and saw the raven’s mouth fall open. It was silent, but he swears he heard the exact moment the taller Slytherin’s heart shattered. With his anger rapidly fading, Draco realised what he had done and began regretting it. He was about to apologise and  fix the photograph, but Joseph stood abruptly, scattering the torn pieces of the photograph all over his bed, and quickly walked out of the dormitory. He heard his friends calling after their friend but they stopped, indicating that the raven had left the common room.

 

Draco wanted to go after him, but the weight of what he had done rooted him to the spot. On their way home from Berlin, Joseph gave it to Draco. It didn’t seem like much to anyone else, but the photo was one of the taller teen’s most prized possessions, for it held a precious memory. Him giving it to Draco was as if he was trusting the blonde with his heart. So what he just did was unforgivable. The sound of shuffling feet grew louder and louder. Every one of his friends appeared outside the dorm and they were about to ask what had happened, but they stopped when they saw Draco sitting on Joseph’s bed with tears rolling down his cheeks.

 

* * *

 

“Another late night, and still nothing.” Harry sighed.

 

“We’ll find something, don’t worry.” Hermione said, but she didn’t seem to believe herself.

 

How could she? It was quarter to eleven on the eve of the Second Task, and despite spending nearly the entire day in the library, she, Harry, and Joseph wasn’t able to find anything that would be able to help Harry breathe underwater.

 

“Maybe you can learn mermish and strike a deal with the merpeople.” Joseph suggested.

 

“I hate to bring reality crashing down on you, but it’d be easier persuading a goblin to forgive a debt.” Moody said as he appeared, making the three of them jump slightly. “Professor Dumbledore would like to see you in his office. Not you Potter, just Ms. Granger and Mr. Duskgem.”

 

“But sir, the Second Task is only hours away.” Hermione protested

 

“And it is presumed that Mr. Potter is well-prepared by now, considering it has been a little over three months since he first got the egg.” Moody said. “The only thing he needs now is a good night’s rest. It’d be a shame for him to have prepared for so long only to be stymied by not sleeping properly.” Hermione opened her mouth to protest again, but one look for Moody made her shut it immediately. “And I’m sure you and Mr. Duskgem know better to keep Professor Dumbledore waiting.”

 

Joseph and Hermione nodded and said goodbye to Harry before leaving. Harry sighed, seeing no point in continuing go through more books when there wouldn’t be anyone to help him understand what he was reading. At times like these, he even wished for Ron’s input, even if his ginger friend would only understand as much as he did. But hanging out with both Ron and Hermione has become a chore since they were arguing again. It started when Ron got angry at Hermione for going to the Yule Ball with Viktor and of course, Hermione pointed out how Ron has been dreaming of getting something autographed by the Bulgarian. Suffice it to say, it didn’t look like the two of them would be getting over this fight soon

 

The Gryffindor then remembered he had more pressing issues at hand. The first being he had no idea how to breathe underwater for an hour, while the second was that he has no idea what the merpeople would take from him. Harry looked at Moody, a little part of him hoping that the ex-auror would help him like he did with Cedric.

 

“Longbottom.” Moody called and Neville appeared. “Why don’t you help Potter put his books away?”

 

__Of course not.__ Harry thought with a sigh.

 

Neville approached and the two housemates shared courteous nods before beginning to put the books away.

 

“You know if you’re interested in plants, you’re better off with __Goshawk’s Guide to Herbology.__ ” Neville said after noticing one of the books Joseph suggested in reading. “There’s a chapter that talks about a wizard in Nepal whose growing gravity-resistant trees.”

 

“Neville, no offense, but I don’t really care about plants.” Harry said. “Not unless there’s some sort of Tibetan turnip that’ll let me breathe underwater for an hour.”

 

Harry didn’t mean to be rude, but the stress of not having a plan when the Second Task was hours away was getting to him. He sighed and knew that he was not right in taking his stress out on Neville. He was about to apologise, when Neville’s face lit up.

 

“I don’t know anything about a Tibetan turnip, but there’s Gillyweed.” Neville said. “When you ingest it, you’ll grow gills and webbing on your hands and feet. It’ll allow you to breathe underwater, and swim around better.”

 

“That’s perfect.” Harry said. “Where can I get it?”

 

“Well, it’s mostly found in the Mediterranean Sea.” Neville said, making Harry’s face fall a little. “But I guess I can ask some from Professor Sprout for a project.”

 

“That would be amazing Neville, thank you.” Harry said with a smile.

 

“No problem Harry.” Neville replied with a smile of his own. “I’ll give it to you tomorrow.”

 

After that, Harry happily discussed more plants with Neville as they put the books away, glad that he finally had a way to breathe underwater. Meanwhile, Hermione and Joseph were discussing what could be the reason Professor Dumbledore was summoning them to his office.

 

“Maybe we’re being made prefects next year.” Hermione suggested.

 

“A letter with a badge will arrive on the same day the list of items for the school year.” Joseph said.

 

When they approached the gargoyle leading to the headmaster’s office, they were surprised to see Professor’s Snape and McGonagall waiting. Hermione was going to ask what was going on, but the Head of Gryffindor immediately turned when they arrived and said the password, making the gargoyle turn and rise with the staircase. The two students followed their respective heads into the headmaster’s office, where they were surprised to find Cho, a student from Beauxbatons, Barty Crouch, Ludo Bagman, and Professor Flitwick, Madame Maxime, Professor Karkaroff, and Professor Dumbledore.

 

“Ah Ms. Granger, Mr. Duskgem, I’m sorry for calling you two here so late at night.” Dumbledore apologised as he approached. “But as you know, the Second Task of the tournament is rapidly approaching.”

 

“We’re aware headmaster, and it was no trouble at all.” Joseph replied. “We were in the library when Professor Moody relayed your summons.”

 

“I should’ve expected as much from two of our most studious students.” Dumbledore remarked with a smile.

 

“Sir, if I may, what are we doing here?” Hermione asked.

 

“Well, I’m sure Mr. Potter or Mr. Krum, in your case Ms. Granger, has told both of you what the Second Task is.” Dumbledore said and the two teens nodded. “The screeching coming from the egg was actually mermish, which sounds like that when spoken above the water, as is common knowledge. When the egg is opened underwater however, the sound that emanates from it is a beautiful singing voice, which told our champions what the Second Task was.”

 

“Yes, sir.” Joseph said with a nod. “In the Second Task, the merpeople have taken something dear to the champions, and they have an hour, at the most to find what was taken. If they fail, the item is lost.”

 

“So, we’re here because you want to know what item the champions would hate to lose the most.” Hermione said.

 

“No my dear.” Dumbledore said as he shook his head. “You are the item.”

 

“I don’t understand sir.” Hermione said with wide eyes.

 

“It’s such a lovely thing.” Dumbledore said happily as his eyes twinkled behind his half-moon glasses. “Several people spend their whole lives searching for and amassing wealth, but they’re never satisfied. What they fail to see is that without people to share their wealth with, no matter how great or small, it all means nothing. The people dearest to our hearts, be it a family member, a close friend, or the one who means the most to us, are our greatest treasures.”

 

“But, don’t you think it’s quite strange, Dumbledore?” Karkaroff asked, looking at Joseph.

 

“Yes, Mr. Duskgem’s situation is quite strange, Igor.” Dumbledore agreed.

 

“I’m sorry, but what is strange, sir?” Joseph asked.

 

“Well, to determine who the champion’s would fear to lose the most, we called upon Professor Snape’s help to brew an old and ancient potion which would tell us. Of course we needed something of the champions’, so we used the cutlery they used at dinner.” Dumbledore explained. “When we dropped in the spoon Ms. Delacour used, it showed her sister, Gabrielle. When we dropped Mr. Diggory’s, it showed Ms. Chang, who has been his friend since she arrived.” Dumbledore then fixed his gaze on the Slytherin. “But when we dropped the spoon of Mr. Potter, who you are currently in a relationship with, it showed Ms. Granger, and you’re here because you were shown to us when we dropped in the spoon that Mr. Krum used.”

 

“I’d like to know vy your student appeared for Viktor ven it should’ve been one of his friends.” Karkaroff said. “Or has Mr. Duskgem been sneaking out in the middle of the night?”

 

“You are right to be concerned Igor, but your implications about my student is highly unfounded.” Snape stated. He may have been an arse at times, but he would defend his students. “Mr. Duskgem is one of the most honourable and trustworthy students in this school. No matter how much I object to it, he is dating Potter and won’t be unfaithful.”

 

“Then vot is going on then?” Igor asked

 

“Well, unknown to everyone but our closest friends, Viktor and I dated for a few months.” Joseph admitted, making everyone stare at him. Surprisingly, Dumbledore, like Hermione, didn’t look shocked at all. “Long story short, Viktor fled to the library to escape the girls hounding him, we met there and talked, met there again several times, and he eventually asked me out.”

 

“When was this?” Ludo asked. “What about your relationship with Harry?”

 

“Harry only began coming to the library when he was named a champion and I offered to help him, since he was representing Hogwarts.” Joseph replied. “At the time, he was too focused on the tournament and his school work. So when Viktor asked me out, I said yes, but our relationship ended a month later.”

 

“But why would you appear for Mr. Krum if your relationship ended with him?” Professor McGonagall asked.

 

“Well, we both had strong feelings for each other, but our relationship ended abruptly.” Joseph replied. “It was when Professor Snape announced that the Yule Ball was a dance. I assumed Viktor and I would be attending together, but when I asked him about it that night, he said he wasn’t ready to show everyone who he was in a relationship because his family and country are very conservative.”

 

Everyone then looked at Karkaroff, who had moved further back into the office, but his scowling face was still visible.

 

“I got angry with him and our relationship ended. So it’s a possibility that he may still have lingering feelings.” Joseph said.

 

“Thank you for explaining Mr. Duskgem, and I apologise, on behalf of everyone, for prying into your personal life.” Dumbledore said, but Joseph shook his head. “I’d like to ask everyone here to not divulge any of the information just revealed to anyone outside this room.” Everyone nodded in agreement and Dumbledore faced Karkaroff. “Igor, I suggest you talk to your champion and hint at what he may find for him, should he still have reservations of letting the world know who he was in a relationship with.”

 

Karkaroff continued to scowl, but nodded.

 

“I still want to know why ‘e did not appear when ‘is boyfriend’s utensil was used.” Maxime said.

 

“Well, we did drop Mr. Krum’s spoon into the potion first.” Snape said. “When we added Potter’s, it’s likely that the potion detected that Mr. Duskgem had already been revealed for another person, and moved on to the next person.”

 

“Well now that we’ve cleared that up, we should explain what is going to happen.” Barty said, and all the students and their teachers approached him. “The champions will be diving into the lake with one hour to search for you. You need not worry; Professor Dumbledore shall place you all in a deep sleep and create a protective charm around you so you will be able to breathe. The merpeople also assured us that no harm will come to any you. The charms will be removed once you resurface.”

 

“Mr. Duskgem, are you alright?” Dumbledore asked. “You look paler than usual.”

 

“The reason for that, headmaster, is that when he was young, Mr. Duskgem went through a traumatic experience that involved nearly drowning.” Snape answered for his student.

 

“Is there any way I can not participate headmaster?” Joseph asked.

 

“I’m sorry my boy, but the rules are rules.” Dumbledore said. “But I shall personally assure your safety.”

 

“What about the part about the items being lost if they aren’t found within the time limit?” Cho asked.

 

“It was only added there to give the champions some urgency.” Dumbledore explained. “Should any of the champions fail to rescue their person within an hour, they will immediately be transported back to us.”

 

“Sir, I don’t think we should make Joseph go through with this if he’s uncomfortable.” Hermione said.

 

“I’ll do it.” Joseph said, surprising everyone. “Unlike Harry, I’ll be perfectly safe. I trust Professor Dumbledore.”

 

“Thank you my boy.” Dumbledore said with a nod. “Now if you could all find a place to sit on before we put you to sleep.”

 

The three Hogwarts students sat on the couch in the corner of the office, and Gabrielle sat on the chair next to it. All of them were nervous, and they only grew more nervous when Dumbledore approached. He started with Gabrielle; kneeling in front of her, Dumbledore waved his wand and chanted a few silent words before the Beauxbatons student fell asleep. The headmaster then moved onto Cho and then Hermione. Dumbledore then knelt in front of Joseph. As he chanted the words and waved his wand, Joseph felt warmth envelop him and he could hear a faint, voice, calling out to him to come and play. The last thing he thought of before losing consciousness was a flash of blonde and two grey orbs.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter 30: The Second Task**

 

* * *

 

 

Harry woke up feeling anxious, but confident at the same time. After taking a shower and discussing some things with Neville, he went down to the common room. Everyone began wishing him luck, save for Fred and George, who were too busy gathering bets. Unsurpringly, Fleur and Viktor were the fan favourites, with Cedric trailing behind them. Even though he wasn’t the favourite, Harry was glad, and it helped his confidence, to see that some people had bet on him.

 

“Morning Ron.” Harry greeted his friend. “Where’s Hermione?”

 

“Haven’t seen her since Transfiguration yesterday.” Ron replied with a scowl. “She’s probably wishing _Vicky_ good luck.”

 

Harry sighed at Ron’s attitude and they headed for the Great Hall. When they arrived, they saw Viktor in his usual spot at the Slytherin table, but no Hermione. Looking further down, Harry spotted Malfoy’s group and didn’t see Joseph either.

 

“Do you think she’s still looking for ways to help you breathe underwater?” Ron asked, his voice sounding a little concerned at this point.

 

“She can’t be.” Harry replied. “I sent her a note saying that I found one. I even asked Ginny to leave it on her nightstand.”

 

“Well, maybe she isn’t awake yet.” Ron suggested. “She was called to Professor Dumbledore’s office.”

 

The two then got up and began walking towards the Gryffindor common room to check if Hermione was still in the dormitory. As they got out of the Great Hall, their attention was called by Cedric, who followed them out.

 

“Have either of you seen Cho?” The Hufflepuff asked.

 

“Cho’s missing too?” Ron asked, and Harry explained how he hadn’t seen Hermione or Joseph since they were called to Dumbledore’s office last night.

 

“Hold on.” Cedric said. “Cho and I were talking when Professor Flitwick said Professor Dumbledore was looking for her.”

 

The three of them stayed silent for a few minutes, before Ron, surprisingly, broke the tension.

 

“We can’t possibly be thinking that Professor Dumbledore’s the reason why they’re missing.” Ron said.

 

“Still, to dismiss this as mere coincidence would be stupid.” Cedric said.

 

“While both of you do have valid points, I agree with Ron.” Harry said. “They’re three of the smartest students in the whole school. They probably had someone from Hufflepuff come in too, and they’re doing something to promote good relations with Beauxbatons and Durmstrang.”

 

Cedric nodded, and the three of them walked back silently into the Great Hall. As they had breakfast, Harry explained to Ron his plan, who patted Neville on the back afterwards.

 

“I guess you got lucky that Moody had Neville help you.” Ron said and Harry agreed.

 

“If you hadn’t noticed Ron, luck is probably the main reason why I’m alive right now.” Harry joked as an owl landed in front of him with a letter. “It’s from Padfoot. He wants us to go to some place in Hogsmeade and bring as much food as we can. I can’t believe he’s here. He could be caught.”

 

“Yeah, but he’s made it this far, so we should give him some credit.” Ron said. “Besides, having Padfoot here means more security for you.”

 

“I know, but it sometimes frustrating how he can be as reckless as Fred and George.” Harry said, quickly writing his confirmation. “Can you go to the Owlery and send this? They’re calling for the champions to get ready.”

 

“Sure. Good luck mate.” Ron said before getting up and heading for the Owlery.

 

* * *

 

“Have you seen him?” Draco asked Blaise as they walked towards the Black Lake.

 

“No, but can you blame him for avoiding you?” Blaise asked.

 

“And don’t you think he’d be with his boyfriend?” Pansy asked, making Blaise glare at her. “Right…sorry.”

 

“I really fucked everything up this time, haven’t I?” Draco asked with a sigh.

 

“I don’t think so.” Theo said, surprising Draco. “I mean, he hates swimming and he avoids huge bodies of water.”

 

Draco nodded, sighing at remembering the reason why his friend never swam and avoided water. It was disheartening to think that even when they were children, Draco was already hurting Joseph.

 

“Look, give Joseph time to cool off. I’m sure he’ll forgive you.” Astoria said. “He has been in love with you since our second year.”

 

“How do you know?” Draco asked.

 

“It was fairly obvious.” Astoria said, and looked at her confused friends. “No? Alright then.”

 

“I know.” Blaise announced. “Why don’t we show our support for Joseph by betting on his boyfriend?”

 

The group looked at Blaise, but sighed and conceded that it was the least they could do. They each gave two galleons, and put it on Harry, who had the fewest bets on him. After being carefully scrutinised by the Weasley twins, the moved and got into the boats that brought them towards the centre of the Black Lake.

 

* * *

 

Harry nervously stood as Ludo Bagman explained the task to the crowed, who were all seated on bleachers high above the lake. He looked down the line of champions, all of them looking extremely confident. Harry was glad he had a way to breathe underwater, but was put off when Neville said that there were herbologists who debated the length of the effects of gillyweed in fresh water as opposed to salt water a few minutes before the task started. He was also made more nervous when Ron didn't show up with Hermione.

 

"Alright champions get ready!" Ludo announced. "Three...two...one..."

 

Harry didn't bother looking at the other champions; he jumped into the lake, wading in it at waist level, took out the gillyweed from his pocket, and shoved it down his throat, chewing the slimy plant and swallowing it as quickly as possible. It took a while, but then Harry felt the strong need to breathe, despite still not plunging into the icy water, and his hesd had started spinning. He placed his hands on his neck and felt two slits on either side, and realised he had grown gills. He dove into the water and his head stopped spinning. He looked at his hands, which were webbed, and then his feet, which had grown longer and were also webbed.

 

Realising he had wasted enough time, Harry began swimming quickly and fluidly around. As he did, he could hear nothing but silence, which wasn't encouraging. After minutes of swimming Harry had't seen any sign of the merpeople or the item they had taken, but he was thankful he hadn't seen the giant squid either. While swimming cover some weed Harry was attacked by grindylows. He tried casting _Relashio_ , but instead of words coming out of his mouth, a large bubble formed and floated upward, and instead of his wand sending sparks towards the water demon, it shot a jet stream of hot water, simply angering the creature. Harry swam as fast as he could, shooting more jets of hot water over his shoulder. When another grindylow tried to grab his leg, he made to kick it, and successfully hit its skull, making it and its companions retreat back into the weed.

 

Harry swam some more, knowing he had gotten deeper into the lake. He was getting frustrated, since time was running out and he still had seen no sign of the merpeople.

 

"How are you getting on?" A voice asked and Harry quickly turned around.

 

"Myrtle?!" Harry tried to say, but another large bubble just formed in front of his mouth.

 

"You should try looking over there." The ghost said and pointed in a specific direction. "I won't come since they chase after me if I get too close."

 

Harry gave Myrtle two thumbs up to show his thanks, and began swimming in the direction she pointed. He swam for a long while, avoiding all patched of weed, and heard the merpeople.

 

_An hour long you'll have to look_

_To recover what we took_

_Your time's half gone so tarry not,_

_Lest what we took stays here to rot._

 

Using the song as a guide, Harry swam faster and saw a cluster of rocks. Swimming past it, he saw a painting of merpeople fighting something that looked like a giant squid. Swimming further, he saw crude stone dwellings and as he got closer, saw that there were faces looking out at him, faces that looked nothing like the one in the prefects' bathroom; the merpeople had grayish skin and long, wild, dark green hair. Their eyes were yellow, as were their broken teeth, and they wore thick ropes of pebbles around their necks. They leered at Harry as he swam past; one or two of them emerged from their caves to watch him better, their powerful, silver fish tails beating the water, spears clutched in their hands.

 

Harry swam towards what looked like the mer-version of a town square, and saw a group of merpeople, lined up, and singing, beckoning the champions towards them. Harry looked further down and when he saw what the merpeople took, he was more shocked than when Myrtle nearly scared the life out of him. Behind them rose a crude sort of statue; a gigantic merperson hewn from a boulder. Tied each to a long weed anchored by the tail of the statue were four people; Hermione, Cho, Joseph, and a girl who looked no older than eight with silvery white locks, which helped Harry identify that she was Fleur's sister, all of them seemed unconscious, and a stream of bubbles were coming from each of their mouths.

 

Harry swam towards the hostages and expected the merpeople to lower their spears and charge at him, but they did nothing. As soon as he was in front of them, Harry thought of the riddle. If he was being honest, he would've missed Hermione more than Joseph. It was nothing against his Slytherin friend, he just knew Hermione longer. He tried to grab the rope made of that she was tied to, but it was thick, slimy, and very strong. As he dismissed the thought of using his wand, he remembered and cursed that he didn't think to bring the knife Sirius had given him. He swam over to one of the merpeople and motioned his hands, asking to borrow the spear.

 

"We do not help." It said as it shook its head and laughed.

 

Frustrated, Harry grabbed the spear and tried to take it, but the merperson was much stronger, and easily pushed Harry away, laughing as it did so. Forgetting about the spear, Harry swam around until he found a jagged rock. He grabbed it, and after working on Hermione's rope of weed, he was able to cut her loose. He was about to take Hermione back to the surface when he looked at the other hostages, and began worrying.

 

'Where are they?' Harry asked himself.

 

After a few minutes of waiting, with no one else arriving, Harry moved towards Cho. This time, the merpeople moved and grabbed Harry by the arms, pulling him away.

 

"Only save one, leave the others." One of them said.

 

"No way!" Harry tried to say, but bubbles came out of his mouth.

 

"Your task is to save your own friend."The merperson explained.

 

"But she's my friend too, and so is he." Harry tried to communicate by gesturing to Cho and Joseph, then to Fleur's sister. "I don't want her to die either."

 

As Harry was growing more panicked, several excited sounds grabbed his attention, and he saw Cedric arriving. At seeing his boyfriend being held by the merpeople, Cedric swam towards them, and helped Harry get free.

 

"Thanks." Harry mouthed. "Where were you?"

 

"Got lost." Cedric mouthed in reply, a sheepish grin showing through the transparent blob that surrounded the lower half of his head. "We better hurry. Fleur and Krum were right behind me."

 

Harry nodded and the two moved towards the hostages. While Harry checked to see if Hermione was hurt, Cedric brought out a knife from his back pocket, and made quick work of the rope of weed that was tied to Cho.

 

"See you on the surface." Cedric mouthed before swimming as quickly as he could up.

 

The sound of screaming drew Harry's attention this time, and he turned to see a massive creature heading towards his way. As it got closer, he was shocked to see it was Viktor. Well, it was him, but not completely; he must've used some transfiguration spell, which gone wrong, and now his upper half was that of a shark's head. Viktor stopped when he saw the hostages, obviously not expecting them either. His gaze shifted from Joseph, to Hermione, then to Harry. After a few seconds, Viktor swam and grabbed Hermione before swimming as fast as he could towards the surface.

 

Harry wanted to protest, but he didn't have time. So he grabbed the jagged rock, which fell during his struggle with the merpeople, and began working on Joseph's rope. Once he finally was able to cut through, Harry looked at the final hostage, and wondered where Fleur was. He looked at his watch to see how much time was left, but was panicked when he saw that it had stopped working. Gathering all his resolve, Harry began swimming towards the final hostage. The merpeople immediately surrounded the girl.

 

"Out of my way." Harry said while pulling out his wand.

 

He knew the merpeople didn't understand what he said, since bubbles came out instead of words, but their smug looks and laughter faded when they saw Harry's wand. They may have been magical creatures, but they had as much magic as the giant squid.

 

"I'm going to count down form three." Harry mouthed as he held put three fingers. "One...two...three..."

 

The merpeople immediately dispersed and Harry began working on the last hostage's rope. Once she was free, Harry grabbed her and Joseph and began swimming upwards. He could hear the merpeople pursuing him. It was already hard enough swimming underwater, it doing it while carrying two other people helped out a lot of strain on Harry's muscles. Harry's head started to hurt again halfway up, snd he could feel his gills disappearing. Panicked, he started kicking his feet harder. He began to see the light, and kicked harder and harder until he felt his head break the surface of the lake.

 

He took in deep breathes and around him, the merpeople were surfacing, but instead of sneering at him, they were smiling. The crowd in the stands were making a lot of noise, and were all on their feet. At first, Harry thought Joseph and the girl were dead. Thankfully, he was proven wrong when his Slytherin friend coughed.

 

"That was about as unpleasant as I could've imagined it." He said, before looking confusedly at the girl, and then seriously at Harry. "Please tell me you didn't try to save anyone."

 

"Fleur never came." Harry replied. "I couldn't just leave her."

 

"Harry, we were never in any danger." Joseph said. "Did you really think that Dumbledore would've let three of his students and a child drown?"

 

"But the riddle said that the thing they took would be lost." Harry rebutted.

 

"It was only put in there to make sure the champions got back in time." Joseph sighed. "We can have this conversation later. I rather miss dry land."

 

Joseph began speaking to the young girl in French, trying to calm her down. As he did, Harry felt more stupid than the troll he faced in his first year. Once the girl calmed down, Joseph let her climb onto his back, and they began swimming towards everyone else. Once there, Harry and Joseph helped the girl up first, before they were helped up by the teachers.

 

"Gabrielle?! Gabrielle, is she 'urt?!" Fleur asked as she broke through the crowd.

 

"She's fine!" Harry called in reply, helping Fleur spot them and immediately hugging her sister.

 

"It was ze grindylows." Fleur began explaining as tears formed in her eyes. "Zey attacked me. I thought that...oh, Gabrielle."

 

"Come with me, you two." Madame Pomfrey said as she grabbed the two Hogwarts students, and sat them down with the others.

 

The mediwitch wrapped a towel tightly on each of them before giving them a potion , which made steam shoot out their ears. While Madame Pomfrey tended to the wounds that Harry received from the grindylows, she gave Joseph a light blue potion, which Harry immediately recognised as Calming Draught.

 

"What's that for?" Harry asked.

 

"I have a fear of drowning, so I tend to avoid swimming in large bodies of water." Joseph replied before downing the liquid

 

"You didn't look like it." Harry pointed out.

 

"I was too busy worrying about your scores, and Gabrielle." Joseph answered.

 

"Well, I'm sorry for having put you through that." Harry said.

 

"It's not your fault." Joseph said. "Besides, we know who was supposed to save me."

 

Harry nodded and spotted Viktor sitting next to Hermione.

 

"Shouldn't he be disqualified from the task?" Harry asked. "He didn't save his hostage."

 

"No, unfortunately." Joseph sighed, explaining what happened last night. "In the end, if you hadn't brought Hermione up yet, and he chose to, he could either have saved me or her. At least now I know what kind of person he really is."

 

"Why don't we get back at him?" Harry asked with a mischievous smile.

 

"Are you sure?" Joseph asked.

 

"Yeah." Harry said, wrapping an arm around the taller raven's neck. "Besides, don't you think it's about time we reassure everyone we're still in a happy relationship?"

 

Joseph smiled in the same mischievous way Harry did, and pressed their lips together. While kissing, Harry slightly opened an eye and saw Viktor's face turn red. He wouldn't have been surprised if steam shot out of the Bulgarian's ears again.

 

"Harry, you did it!" Hermione said as she hugged him. "You found a way all by yourself."

 

"Well..." Harry was about to say that Neville helped him, but noticed Karkaroff watching him, obviously displeased that he hadn't drowned. "Yeah, that's right!"

 

"You have a vater beetle in your hair, Herm-own-ninny." Viktor said, trying to make the brunette return her focus on him.

 

"You are well out of the time limit, Harry." Hermione said as she continued to ignore Viktor, and swatted the beetle out of her hair. "Did you have trouble finding us?"

 

"No, I was able to find you alright." Harry said with a sigh.

 

As his regret at his stupidity grew, Harry became more and more embarrassed. He watched as Dumbledore spoke to one of the merpeople, in mermish no less, and began wandering who'd get more points; him, who was able to save his hostage, and Fleur's, or Fleur, who wasn't able to save her hostage at all.

 

"The other judges and I shall have a short conference before giving out the scores." Dumbledore announced.

 

"Please, tend to Gabrielle first." Fleur said to Madme Pomfrey before walking towards Harry. "You saved 'er, even though she was not yours to save."

 

"Well, yeah." Harry said. Smooth, Potter

 

It didn't seem to matter that he was ineloquent  since Fleur kissed both his cheeks, making his face feel extremely hot.

 

"And you 'elped. You calmed Gabrielle down, and swam 'er to safety." Fleur said to Joseph, who nodded and said something in french. "Merci."

 

Fleur then kissed both of Joseph's cheeks

 

"Don't blush so much Harry." Joseph teased. "You'll give us away."

 

Harry was about to respond when he saw the judges dispersing.

 

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus has told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows..." Bagman's voice announced to the whole crowd. "Though she showed excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, Miss Fleur Delacour was attacked before she reached her goal, and failed to retrieve her hostage. We award her twenty-five points."

 

"I deserve no points." Fleur said.

 

“Cedric Diggory, who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit.” Ludo announced. “We award him forty-seven points.”

 

The Hufflepuffs cheered and clapped for their housemate. Cho gave Cedric a big hug, and the brunette glanced at Harry to show a wide smile.

 

“Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration, which was effective, nonetheless, and he returned second with his hostage. We award him forty points.”

 

The students of Durmstrang, as well as the friends Viktor had made in Hogwarts, and his fan club, cheered, but as always, none were louder than Karkaroff.

 

“Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect.” Ludo continued, making Harry extremely nervous and clutching onto Hermione’s and Joseph’s hands. “He returned last and well outside the time limit of an hour.”

 

Harry’s heart sank, and how he wished he could have just cut Hermione loose and swim back to the surface.

 

“However…” Ludo said, and Harry’s head shot up, his entire body filling with hope. “The Merchieftainess has informed us that Mr. Potter was the first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return all the hostages to safety, not merely his own.”

 

Hermione looked like she didn’t know whether to scold or compliment him, and Harry had no doubt the Ron was looking at him in the same way from the stands.

 

“After deliberating…” Ludo continued. “The judges have decided to award Mr. Potter forty-seven points for the show of great moral fibre.”

 

Harry couldn’t believe and it took a while for him to realise that he was tied for first with Cedric. He was brought out of his stupor when Hermione pulled him into a hug. When he pulled away, he looked around and saw people applauding and cheering for him; his schoolmates, save for the Slytherins, his teachers, the judges, save for Karkaroff, and his fellow champions, save for Viktor, who was trying to engage Hermione in conversation, but Hermione was too busy applauding Harry.

 

“The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June.” Ludo announced. “The champions will be notified of what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions.”

 

Harry let out a sigh of relief, glad that the second task was over, and that he didn’t have to worry about the final task until May. As they were moving towards the boats, Harry tried approaching Cedric and Cho to ask if they could ride together, but he was intercepted by Fleur, who asked him and Joseph to join her and Gabrielle. Not wanting to be rude, Harry accepted her offer, and the four of them rode together.

 

“I would like to express my gratitude again for saving Gabrielle.” Fleur said.

 

“It was no problem at all.” Harry said. “I’m sure you would’ve done the same.”

 

“No, I wouldn’t have.” Fleur said with a sigh. “Ze problem is zat zis is a competition, our focus should be on winning. But you, you put the wellbeing of ozers above winning. I would like to apologise for saying that you were just a child. You may be younger than any Triwizard champion ever, but you are more mature than any of us.”

 

“Thank you, Fleur. I really appreciate that.” Harry said with a nod.

 

“And Gabrielle says zat your French is very good.” Fleur said to Joseph. “Did you live in France for a time?”

 

“No. When I was a child, my parents told me about how I would be going to study in a magical school, and allowed me to choose the one I wanted to attend.” Joseph replied. “In the end, I was leaning towards Beauxbatons. I began learning French but once I found out a lot of the hands-on classes here in Hogwarts were mostly theoretical there, I changed my mind.”

 

“Yes, I agree zat it would be more beneficial to us students if some of the classes, like Defence, were more hands-on.” Fleur agreed.

 

As the two conversed about the differences in the Hogwarts and Beauxbatons curriculum, Harry noticed Gabrielle’s looking shifting to look from her feet to his friend constantly while she blushed.

 

“I think you have a new fan.” Harry teased when Fleur talked to Gabrielle about something.

 

“Stuff it Potter.” Joseph whispered back. “I have no reservations of pushing you back into the freezing water.”

 

Harry chuckled and they continued conversing with Fleur until they reached the shore. Once there, Harry and Joseph began walking towards the castle, and met with Hermione halfway. They began discussing the possibility of what the final task was.

 

“Perhaps you’ll have to duel with each other.” Joseph suggested.

 

“Then we can declare Cedric the winner now, then.” Harry said.

 

“If that were the case, you know we’d help you learn more spells.” Hermione said.

 

“I know, but they have had years of lessons.” Harry replied. “How much can I learn in just a month, if that were the case?”

 

“Enough.” Joseph stated. In my honest opinion, I think you only need to know two spells; the Disarming Charm and the Shield Charm. I know both of them, so I can teach them to you, should the final task be a duel.”

 

“But if the Blast-ended Skrewts are really part of the tournament, then I don’t think you need to worry, Harry.” Hermione assured.

 

Harry nodded, but still thought it’d be beneficial to learn the spells as soon as possible. He as about to ask Joseph to teach him the spells, but his Slytherin friends walked in between them, separating Joseph from Harry and Hermione, and the two Gryffindors watched as Malfoy grabbed the taller raven’s wrist, and lead him down to the dungeons. Harry thought of going after them, but it looked like his friend was letting the blonde git lead him.

 

“I find it bizarre that someone as kind and generous as Joseph has feelings for someone like Malfoy.” Hermione said with a small smile. “But we can’t choose who we fall in love with.”  


“I know.” Harry nodded in agreement. “He may be a git, but he’s Joseph’s git. I hope it works out between them.”

 

“Hey Harry.” Cedric said as he approached the Gryffindors. “Excellent work.”

 

“You too.” Harry returned. “Thanks for saving me back there, too.”  


“Well, be they human or non-human, no one but I should be allowed to touch you.” Cedric whispered with a smirk.

 

“Shush Diggory, do you want to give us away?” Harry asked, but smiled back. “Hermione and I were just about to warm up and dry off.”

 

“Really?” Cedric asked. “Because I know of another way that we can ‘warm up.’”

 

“As much as I want to, I think we should give our housemates a chance to celebrate with us.” Harry said. “Astronomy Tower after dinner?”

 

“Sure, just make sure you don’t arrive so late.” Cedric said with a smirk before walking towards the Hufflepuff common room.

 

“Just make sure you don’t get lost this time.” Harry called, and looked confusedly at Hermione, who was staring at him with a strange look. “What?”

 

“Joseph was right; it’s a wonder the entire school hasn’t caught on yet.”


	33. Chapter 33

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Greetings from the dead. But seriously, I apologise for the extreme lateness of this update. I got extremely busy and suffered extreme writer's block. I will try to get the next update posted soon. Again, my apologies and hope you enjoy this chapter

**Chapter 31: The Godfather**

The past week  had been the best Harry’s experienced in the entire school year; people from all houses, other than Slytherin, were congratulating him and wishing him luck, and even got rid of the ‘Potter Stinks’ badges. Some professors exempted him from a day’s activity, which made Harry extremely happy when Professor Sprout allowed him to skip pruning a smaller version of the Whomping Willow. Now, he was happily enjoying a peaceful moment where he, Cedric, Hermione, and Joseph did their homework in the library.

 

“Hogsmeade trip is coming up.” Cedric said. “Want to go rent a private room again.”

 

“I’d love to, but we’re meeting Sirius.” Harry said in a low voice. He then explained what Sirius told him, about signs he and Dumbledore have been noticing.

 

“I doubt Karkaroff has the balls to enter your name.” Joseph said. “As soon as he was captured last time, he immediately volunteered to identify other Death Eaters just to get out of going to Azkaban.”

 

“Which would make sure he’s not welcomed back with open arms, even if he did take me out.” Harry said.

 

“Do you think Pettigrew’s involved?” Hermione asked. “Professor Trelawney’s prophecy did say he was returning to his master, which is You-Know-Who.”

 

“I doubt it.” Cedric said. “Every teacher in the castle knows he’s an animagus by now, and would’ve put up necessary wards.”

 

“Ced and I managed not to die this week.” Harry stated suddenly. “Can we give the topic a rest for now until we meet with Sirius and have more facts?”

 

Everyone agreed and they continued studying. As the peace of turning pages and scratching quills returned, Harry thought about the meeting with Sirius, but he wasn’t thinking about what information he has on Voldemort. Instead, he was thinking about how Sirius was his, not yet legal, guardian. If Pettigrew hadn’t escaped last year, Sirius would’ve been cleared of the charges against him and Harry would’ve moved in with him last summer, and he would’ve been made Harry’s legal guardian. He was now, in a way, Harry’s parent.

 

“Hermione, can I talk to you?” Harry asked her friend, and they moved a few rows down. “Listen, I was wondering if you and Ron could not come with me to meet Sirius.”

 

“What?” Hermione asked in disbelief. “Are you mad? Harry, I’m sure Sirius will have a lot of information to give us and I’m not saying that you’re not attentive, it’s just that you might be too distracted to take everything is. Sure he’s your godfather and you miss him, we miss him too, but you need someone there with a level head.”

 

“Hermione.” Harry said, cutting off Hermione before she started her next sentence. “No, I’m not mad, but everything you said after asking that is true, and I will have someone with a level head with me. Hermione, I want to bring Cedric to meet Sirius.”

 

“Oh.” Hermione merely said as she realised Harry’s intent. “Really? You want to introduce Cedric to Sirius this Saturday? Don’t you want to do it when the circumstances are better?”

 

“No Hermione. I want Cedric to meet Sirius this Saturday, no matter the circumstances.”  Harry replied. “And who knows when I’ll see Sirius again after that?”

 

“Alright Harry, I’ll tell Ron.” Hermione nodded.

 

Harry smiled. Since the Second Task, Ron has been nicer to Hermione, and the two were back to being friends. It also helped that Hermione stopped seeing Viktor after Harry explained what he had done. The two returned to their friends and once Harry sat next to Cedric again, Hermione took Joseph away.

 

“So, what do you want to talk about?” Cedric asked. “You talk to Hermione and when you come back, she leaves with Joseph. Is there another pressing issue at hand?”

 

“No.” Harry said. “Yes, but it’s not as threatening as the first. I asked Hermione not come with me to meet Sirius, and I’m going to ask the same thing of Ron later.”

 

“Harry, are you sure that’s a good idea?” Cedric asked.

 

“Yes and before you go making the same objections Hermione made, I will be bringing someone; you.” Harry replied. “I want you to meet Sirius.”

 

“Really?” Cedric asked surprised.

 

“Yes.” Harry nodded. “Once we clear his name, I’ll move in with Sirius, and he’ll be my legal guardian, my family. Besides, I already met your mum.”

 

“Alright, Harry.” Cedric nodded with a smile. “What should I wear? And should I bring anything?”

 

“Just wear your normal clothes. I doubt Sirius will worry too much about appearances since he’s been on the run since last year.” Harry said with a chuckle. “And he did ask us to bring as much food as we can carry.”

 

“If that’s what he wants, then he’ll be disappointed that it’s just the two of us instead of you, Hermione, and Ron.” Cedric chuckled.

 

“It’ll be fine.” Harry replied. “We’re going to stop by the kitchens and Dobby agreed to give us a bag full of food.”

 

Cedric nodded, and they continued to do their work minutes later when Hermione and Joseph returned.

 

* * *

 

Draco and his friends were in their dorm, doing whatever they wanted since they had finished their work already. Blaise was discussing with Theo some of the finer looking guys from Beauxbatons, and the brunette looked like he’d rather be in the freezing lake. Crabbe and Goyle were playing Exploding Snap. They were both rubbish at the original game, but they decided to try the Bavarian variant one of the Durmstrang students thought them; all the cards are dealt in a circle and pairs are dealt into the centre. The pair must be tapped with a wand in a limited time frame, or else all the cards explode. Since the two Slytherins had the reflexes of a slug, it wasn’t long before they both looked like they had just worked in a coal mine. Draco, on the other hand, decided to study some of the potions they’ll be tackling in future lessons. It was a little after Crabbe and Goyle’s tenth round that the door swung open, and their friend walked in.

 

“Where’ve you been?” Draco asked Joseph as he set his bag down on his desk.

 

“Library.” Blaise and Theo answered for him in unison, and Blaise asked “Was your boyfriend with you?”

 

“No.” Joseph said and sat on his bed. “Harry’s a bit of a hot topic since he tied for first with Diggory. It’ll probably be another week before we can hang around public places together without being ambushed by crowds. What are you two talking about?”

 

“Guys from Beauxbatons Theo would, at the very least, have a good night with.” Blaise said with a mischievous smile.

 

“I thought you ate on the opposite side of the buffet.” Joseph said with a raised eyebrow.

 

“You should know by now that as long as there’s a hole tight enough, Blaise will gladly take it to bed with him” Draco said, making his friends chuckle.

 

The group returned to the peaceful sounds of Theo and Blaise talking, the turning of pages, and the exploding of cards, which stopped after Crabbe and Goyle’s twentieth round. Minutes after lights out, Draco was lying awake on his bed, unable to sleep, like several nights before. His mind was too focused on what had happened after the Second Task;

 

_~*~*~ **A Week Ago** ~*~*~_

As Draco dragged Joseph back to their dorm, he was thinking of several hexes to use on Potter for putting his friend in such a position. As soon as they got there, he pushed Joseph into the bathroom and gathered some fresh clothes for the taller teen. When their other friends tried to enter, Draco asked them to leave. While the girls were reluctant, Blaise, and Theo, surprisingly, understood, and convinced everyone to leave the two alone for now. Draco then brought the fresh set of clothes into the bathroom, and after setting them on the countertop, he returned to the dorm and waited patiently on his bed. Minutes later, Joseph emerged wearing the clothes Draco brought in for him. After fixing his hair, he moved to sit next to the blonde.

 

“Thanks.” Joseph said, to which the blonde nodded. “I haven’t had a bath since yesterday morning.”

 

“Well, it’s not like you could do anything about it.” Draco said as he looked at his friend. “Are you alright?”

 

“Yes.” Joseph replied with a nod. “Thank you for your concern.”

 

Silence followed, and Draco was beginning to regret having his friends wait outside. Thinking quickly, he took out his Potions book, opened it, and brought out the picture that he had torn to pieces the night before.

 

“I’m sorry.” He said, placing it on his friend’s lap. “I was completely out of line doing what I did.”

 

“You’re right.” Joseph said with a nod. “But why are you giving this back to me? I gave it to you, remember?”

 

“Don’t you remember what I did?” Draco asked. “How could you think I deserve to keep this?”

 

“Because I still trust you .” Joseph replied.

 

“Why?” Draco asked frustrated, looking at his friend with great disbelief.

 

Instead of answer Draco with his words, Joseph took the blonde’s chin between his fingers, and pressed their lips together. The blonde was shocked and confused, but it didn’t take long for him to start kissing back. The kiss lasted longer than their last one and when Draco pulled away, he saw the taller Slytherin staring at him.

 

“Draco, I love you.” Joseph whispered. “And I know a lot of things don’t make sense right now, but I will explain them in time. Please be patient, and trust me.”

 

Draco nodded, and the two shared another short kiss before letting their friends in.

 

_~*~*~ **Present** ~*~*~_

Draco opened his curtains and looked to the bed of his friend. A part of him wanted to go over there and demand answers, but he controlled himself. He promised Joseph he’d be patient and by Salazar, he was going to do it, even if it drove him insane.

 

* * *

 

Harry, Ron and Hermione walked towards Hogsmeade, the raven’s bag filled with meat pies, some chicken, and a bottle of pumpkin juice that Dobby prepared for them. The plan was to go into Hogsmeade, Harry would meet Cedric close to the rendezvous point, and the two of them would meet Sirius while Hermione and Ron returned to the town proper. Harry was a little worried that Ron and Hermione wouldn’t get along, but after the Second Task, Hermione spent less time with Viktor and the two of them began talking again. Harry may have also mentioned how worried Ron was when they couldn’t find her that morning.

 

Just as they passed the Three Broomsticks, they spotted Cedric approaching them. Ron and Hermione said goodbye to Harry, and the raven waited until his boyfriend arrived.

 

"I thought I said that you didn't need to dress up." Harry said with a smile.

 

Despite Cedric not being in his best dress robes, he was wearing the best muggle clothes Harry had bought him over the summer; he was wearing a white collared shirt underneath a dark blue cardigan, and black tight-fitting jeans.

 

"Well, you looked amazing when you met my mum." Cedric said with a small smile

 

They began walking until they were closer to the edge of town, where the cottages were fewer and the road led into wild lands. After walking for a few more minutes, they spotted a large, black shaggy dog.

 

"Sirius?" Harry called and the dog moved closer and nodded, before turning to Cedric. "He can be trusted. I'll explain later."

 

Sirius gave Harry a look before nodding and leading the two out of town. They followed him to the base of a mountain, and then a little bit higher up. It wasn't long before Harry and Cedric were out of breath, and they were thankful Sirius finally led them into a cave. When they entered, they were both surprised and happy to see Buckbeak tethered to one of the rocks. Harry then turned to look at the rock Sirius disappeared behind and walk out from, but in his human form, wearing the clothes he had on when he and Hermione helped him escape.

 

"Harry." He said with a smile, and he and his godson shared a long hug. "It's good to see to see you again. Buckbeak's great company, of course, but other than asking for food, he doesn't talk much."

 

"It's great to see you again too, Sirius." Harry said with a smile before handing his godfather the bag of food. "Speaking of food."

 

"Chicken!" Sirius exclaimed happily when he opened the bag. "Harry, you're a lifesaver."

 

Sirius sat and devoured several chicken legs before washing them down with a swig from the bottle of pumpkin juice. Wiping his mouth, he then turned his eyes to the Hufflepuff, eyeing him up and down before turning to Harry.

 

"Where're Ron and Hermione?" He asked before pointing to Cedric with another chicken leg. "And who's this?

 

"Ron and Hermione are in Hogsmeade, and I asked them not to come. The reason for that is I wanted to introduce you." Harry explained as he moved closer to Cedric and taking his hand. "Sirius, this is Cedric Diggory, my boyfriend."

 

Sirius stared at the two of them for a few minutes before standing and circling them. After a while, Sirius stopped in front of them and smiled.

 

"You know how to choose them Harry." Sirius said with a smile, making his godson blush, and turned to Cedric. "Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, and accused mass-murderer. I'd shake your hand, but I don't want to get dirt on you."

 

"It's quite alright, sir." Cedric said, shaking Sirius's hand.

 

"Polite, isn't he? So, Hufflepuff?" Sirius asked and Cedric nodded, making the older male smile. "Still got it. And please, call me Sirius."

 

Cedric nodded, and they all moved to sit around Sirius's bag of food.

 

"So, how long have you been together?" Sirius asked, taking out a meat pie.

 

"A little over a year." Harry answered. "We got together Christmas last year."

 

"So, you and the Slytherin boy, you're not together?" Sirius asked.

 

"His name is Joseph, and no we're not." Harry replied before explaining everything, from when Hermione first introduced them to their fake relationship.

 

"I see" Sirius said thoughtfully before sighing. "Well, I'm not so sure being a friend of his would be such a good thing in the coming times."

 

Sirius then told the two of the things he learned while travelling; how Harry's nightmares of Voldemort and the incident at the World Cup Finals were no coincidences, how Bertha Jorkins's disappearance couldn't have merely been her getting lost, and how her disappearing was the same way how everything started when Voldemort first rose to power.

 

“Well, that’s troubling, but what does it have anything to do with my friendship with Joseph?” Harry asked

 

“Harry, you don’t know?” Sirius asked.

 

“Remember when Professor Moody taught you guys about the Three Unforgiveable curses?” Cedric asked with a serious face, and Harry nodded. “Remember the Imperius curse?”

 

“Yeah, it would let you control someone.” Harry said. “Professor Moody said when You-Know-Who disappeared, his followers argued that he used the curse on them. A lot of them got released on that basis.”

 

“Well, the one’s with huge pouches of galleons to spare.” Sirius remarked as he took a sip from the bottle.

 

“Anyway, my father complained about all the people who got acquitted because of that reason over several dinners.” Cedric continued. “Joseph’s parents were among them.”

 

"Really?" Harry asked with wide eyes. "He never said anything to me."

 

"Well, Hermione did introduce him to help you, and he, originally, agreed to do it to repay her for what she did for him." Cedric stated. "I doubt you would've trusted him if he told you his parents were Death Eaters."

 

Harry nodded and he realised it was getting late.

 

"It was great to see you again Sirius." Harry said as he gave his godfather a hug.

 

"You too, my boy" Sirius replied before letting go of Harry and approaching Cedric. "Now listen here; I may have been wrongly accused of being a violent murderer. But if you hurt my godson in any way, I can assure you that you'll see that side of me."

 

"Understood." Cedric nodded, and Sirius smiled again.

 

"You two look after each other and keep me posted of anything suspicious." Sirius instructed them. "And if you need to talk about me, just refer to me as Snuffles."

 

After another round of goodbyes, Sirius transformed into his animagus form, led the two teens back to Hogsmeade, where they parted ways.

 

"I think he likes you" Harry teased his boyfriend.

 

"Of course he did. Why else would he threaten to murder me?" Cedric replied, making Harry chuckle. "Thank you for taking me."

 

"You're welcome." Harry said before sharing a short, but deep, kiss with his boyfriend.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter 32: The Coming Storm**

  
  
The night after Harry and Cedric visited Sirius, Harry sat with Joseph in the library. Cedric was off doing his rounds while Hermione and Ron got into another argument, this time about the house elves. As the two teens did their assignments, something he learned the day before kept bugging Harry; it was the fact that the person sitting next to him, who he's come to know as a dear friend, has parents who were Death Eaters. It shouldn't have bugged him, he's had several conversations with the Slytherin about the muggle world.

  
"What is it?" Joseph asked suddenly

  
  
"What?" Harry returned.

  
  
"You've shifted your focus from your work to me several times now" Joseph stated as he finished another line in his work. "You've also opened your mouth several times, only to shut it immediately after. There's obviously something you want to talk about."

 

  
  
"It's not a pleasant topic." Harry admitted.  
  
"You're Harry Potter." Joseph replied with a smirk. "When has the topic ever been pleasant?"

  
"Fair enough." Harry conceded, setting his quill down. "It's about when Ced and I went to see...Snuffles."

  
  
Joseph raised an eyebrow and Harry quietly explained.

  
  
"Your godfather is something." Joseph said with a nod. "So, did Snuffles have a problem with Cedric?"

  
  
"No, he loved him." Harry said. "When Sirius just asked if I wasn't with you, and said you were my friend, he may have said that wouldn't be a good thing if what we all feared would come about because of your...parents."

  
  
A tense silence followed; Joseph stopped writing, Harry watched the taller raven carefully, and neither made a single sound for a few minutes. The silence was broken when Joseph sighed and set his quill down

  
  
"So, is that what's been bothering you?" Joseph asked as he looked at Harry. "My parents' old allegiances?"

  
  
"Yes...no...I'm not sure." Harry admitted with a sigh. "I think what's been bugging me most about it is that we've been friends for a little over a year, and I had to hear that piece of information from my boyfriend and godfather."

  
  
"Well, like you said, it's not a pleasant topic." Joseph said then sighed. "You're right, though; you should've heard that piece of information from me. My parents' past is complicated. It would've taken all our focus to explain everything, and we were all preoccupied with helping you stay alive."

  
  
"Well, we have some time before Madame Pince kicks us out." Harry said and Joseph nodded.

  
  
"Well, like I said when we first met, my friendship with Draco came to be mostly because my grandfather was friends with his, and my father was friends with his." Joseph began explaining. "Lucius Malfoy immediately joined You-Know-Who's side, my father argued against it, but he joined too, figuring he could help more people and keep us safer that way."

  
  
"And was he able to?" Harry asked, and Joseph nodded.

  
  
"Thanks to father's knowledge of potions, he was assigned, mostly, to 'extract' information." Joseph replied. "He'd create potions to do all sorts of things to the taker; cause them extreme pain, make them see horrifying things. He had antidotes, but he was never ordered to used them, not even when the information You-Know-Who wanted was given up" Joseph sighed, and there was a minute of silence before he continued. "Father, and likeminded others, then created a potion that would make the taker twitch violently and scream, then knock them out and make it seem like they died for a few hours. By the time they wake up, they've been dumped, where all dead bodies were dumped, with their wands and they escape."

  
  
"Wow." Harry remarked. "But if your parents were against Voldemort this whole time, why didn't they just come clean about everything after he disappeared."

  
  
"Dumbledore." Joseph answered. "Hours after hearing of You-Know-Who's defeat, Dumbledore paid my parents a visit. Apparently, one of the people father helped escape was working with a group run by Dumbledore, the Order of the...something. Anyway, he told my parents he needed their help and that he feared that You-Know-Who had not been completely defeated. He told them some things, they believed him, and he asked them to stay on the other Death Eaters' good side and keep him posted of any developments."

  
  
"So your parents are double agents?" Harry asked and Joseph nodded. "What does that mean for us? I mean...if Voldemort returns."

  
  
"They'll return to his side, work for him." Joseph said with a shudder. "And we'll say that me befriending and 'dating' you was all part of our plan to avenge him." Joseph looked at the raven. "But when he does, they'll say you found out about my parents and have avoided me at all costs, which will have to happen. It's for the best."

  
  
Another silence followed, but this one was longer. Harry didn't know what to say. He didn't want to stop talking or hanging out with the taller raven, but he was right. The two of them hanging out won't go unnoticed. And should Voldemort return and find out, that could spell trouble, not just for him, but for Joseph and his family.

  
  
"Alright." Harry said with a nod. "Um...should we get back to our work?"

  
  
Joseph nodded and the sound of scratching quills and turning pages returned. The two only talked when Harry had some questions, which rarely happened now since Joseph helped in improving Harry's study habits. They stood when they were done and held each other's hand as they began heading out.

  
  
"So.." Harry began awkwardly. "If Voldemort should return, we'd be on different sides."

  
  
"Yes." Joseph said with a nod. "But we'll be working towards the same end."

  
  
"But what if..." Harry began as he held the taller teen's hand tighter, and made them stop just outside the library. "But what if we cross paths? We can't not fight each other, your cover will be blown."

  
  
"I'll do what I can to show that I'm more valuable off the field." Joseph stated then looked at Harry. "But if that does happen, we'll duel each other for a while before i let you win."

  
  
"But doesn't Voldemort punish those who fail him?" Harry asked worriedly.

  
  
"Yes, but Harry, if he does return, your safety and welfare will be paramount." Joseph said firmly as he looked directly into Harry's eyes. "Without you, He-...Voldemort wins."

  
  
Harry stared for a few minutes before nodding, and pulling the the Slytherin into a tight hug. Joseph hugged back and they stayed like that for a while before pulling away and heading for the Gryffindor common room.

  
  
"How about we talk about some happier things?" Joseph suggested and Harry nodded. "I obviously want to invite you, Cedric and the others over for my birthday, but that would raise questions. So, I was thinking we could all spend a week on the beach after my formal party."

  
  
"Really?" Harry asked and looked at Joseph.

  
  
"My family owns a beach house we could floo to." Joseph replied. "We'd have complete privacy."

  
  
"That sounds perfect." Harry said with a smile. "I'm sure the Dursleys would love for me to get out of the house. And I know they'd love it more if I never go back there."

  
  
The rest of their walk consisted of what they could do while at the beach, other than swim, sunbathe, and bury Cedric in the sand. They said goodnight to each other once they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady, with Harry giving Joseph a quick peck on the cheek, before entering the common room to tell Hermione.

 

* * *

  
  
May arrived and Harry walked towards the Quidditch Pitch after dinner with the other three champions. As he walked, he thought that the third task would have flying involved. He gained some confidence at that thought, but then remembered he was competing against Cedric and Viktor, both excellent fliers, and he had never seen Fleur fly, so she could be amazing as well. Whatever confidence he had that the task would involve flying was squashed when he saw the pitch covered in green hedges.

  
  
"What happened here?" Cedric asked in shock.

  
  
"Don't worry Mr. Diggory, you'll have your Quidditch Pitch back after the third task." Bagman said. "But another month, and Hagrid will have all these twenty feet high. I'm sure the third task is obvious."

  
  
"A maze." Viktor said and Bagman nodded.

  
  
"The Triwizard cup shall be placed in the centre if the maze. The first to touch it will receive full marks." The former Wasp explained. "Now, since Mr. Potter and Mr. Diggory are tied for first, they will get to enter the maze first, then Mr. Krum, and then Ms. Delacour."

  
  
"We only 'ave to get through ze maze?" Fleur asked.

  
  
"There will be obstacles." Bagman replied. "Hagrid has provided a number of creatures, there will also be spells to take care of."

  
  
Harry knew all too well what kind of creatures Hagrid would provide and shuddered at the thought. Once Bagman finished explaining, he dismissed them. Harry was about to walk back to the castle with Cedric when he felt a tap on his shoulder and was surprised to see Viktor.

  
  
"Could I have a vord? The Bulgarian seeker asked.

  
  
"Uh...sure." Harry said.

  
  
Viktor asked Harry to walk with him. Before he went, Harry told Mr. Bagman, who offered to wait for Harry, that he'd be fine, but looked at Cedric while doing so. Getting the message, Cedric walked back to the castle with Fleur, making polite conversation as they did, and Harry walked with Viktor.

  
  
"Why are we heading this way?" Harry asked as they walked towards the forest and not the Durmstrang ship.

  
"Don't vant anyone to hear." Viktor said. "You are close vith Joseph."

  
  
"I think we are, since we're dating." Harry replied.

  
  
"Vould you ask him to speak to me?" Viktor asked. "I vould like to explain and clarify vhy I did vot I did."

 

  
"What's there to explain?" Harry asked, suddenly getting angry. "You dated him, but your image was more important to you than he was."

  
  
"Please, hear me out." Viktor asked, and Harry nodded as he slowly calmed down. "Ven I met Joseph, I developed feelings for him, strong feelings. But as time vent by, I began becoming conflicted. It started ven I met your friend, Herm-own-ninny."

  
  
"So, you like both Joseph and Hermione?" Harry asked and Viktor nodded. "How long did you have conflicted feelings? It was pretty clear who you liked more at the Yule Ball, and the Second Task."

  
  
"I'm sure Joseph told you about how I said homophobia is present back home?" Viktor asked and Harry nodded. "Well it's still quite...violent."

  
  
"He didn't mention that." Harry said, letting out a shaky breath, remembering reading and hearing some news about hate crimes that happened near Privet Drive.

  
  
"He stormed off before I got to tell him." Viktor replied. "I was going to suggest I go with Herm-own-ninny as a precaution, but also I can resolve this inner conflict inside me. Unfortunately, seeing you and Joseph together made her very suspicious and when she asked me what happened and i told her, she vos rather upset."

  
  
"So you weren't able to resolve the conflict?" Harry asked and Viktor shook his head "When, then?"

  
  
"The Second Task; when I saw the two of them tied up, at first i didn't know who to save. I cared deeply for both. But then, I knew, Herm-own-ninny was the one."

  
  
"So what about Joseph? He really liked you."

  
  
"I vosn't sure if my heart lay more vith him or vith her. I vos trying to think vithout the pressure. It vouldn't have been fair to Joseph for me to figure out that I liked Herm-own-ninny more vhile dating him."

  
  
“You hurt him greatly, Viktor.” Harry said before nodding. “But I think it will do both of you good to talk things through.”

  
  
“So, you’ll ask him to speak to me?” Viktor asked.

  
  
“I will, but it’s up to him on whether or not he’ll agree to do it.” Harry replied and Viktor nodded.

  
  
They were about to head to the castle when Harry saw something move behind Viktor. Knowing what kind of creatures live in the forest, Harry grabbed Viktor by the arm and pulled him away. Harry brought out his wand, as did Viktor, but instead of a dangerous creature, a man unevenly walked into the light and revealed himself. Harry suddenly realised that the man was Mr. Crouch. The ministry official looked terrible; his robes were ripped, some areas were bloody, his face was scratched, and he was unshaven and looked exhausted

 

  
“Isn’t he vid your ministry?” Viktor asked.

  
  
Harry nodded. He was about to ask Mr. Crouch if he was alright when the old man started talking to Percy, who wasn’t there, about sending a letter to Dumbledore about the number of Durmstrang who will be attending the tournament. Harry tried getting his attention, but Crouch ignored him and continued giving orders to Percy before falling to his knees.

  
  
“Vot is wrong vid him?” Viktor asked.

  
  
“No idea.” Harry replied. “We should go get some help…”

  
  
“Dumbledore!” Crouch exclaimed suddenly, making the two teens jump slightly, and reaching forward, grabbing a handful of Harry’s robes, and pulling him close. “I need…see…Dumbledore…”

  
  
“Alright.” Harry said. “Mr. Crouch, we’ll go see him if you get up”

  
  
“I’ve done…stupid…thing…” Crouch said. “Must…tell…Dumbledore…”

  
  
“Get up Mr. Crouch, and we’ll tell him.” Harry said.

  
  
Crouch then looked at Harry, asking if he was Dumbledore’s student, and told him to warn the headmaster when Harry confirmed he was. Harry tried to get Crouch to stand up, but the old man just returned to the trance he was in, mumbling orders to an absent Percy, this time about preparing a cup of tea and talking about his son’s O.W.L.s.

  
  
“I’m going to get help.” Harry told Viktor. “Stay with him.”

  
  
“Are you mad?” Viktor asked. “He’s unstable.”

  
  
“I know where Dumbledore’s office is.” Harry said. “I’ll be back soon.”

  
  
After Viktor nodded reluctantly, Harry bolted towards the castle. As he approached the entrance, he saw Cedric waiting for him.

  
  
“Harry, what’s wrong?” Cedric asked when the Gryffindor stopped in front of him.

 

  
“Mr. Crouch…walked out of forest…talking to Percy…” Harry said in between pants. “Need to get…Dumbledore…”

  
  
Cedric didn’t understand, but nodded and ran with Harry to the headmaster’s office. They were about to say the password when they came across a familiar, sneering face.

  
  
“Potter, Diggory.” Snape barked from the last step of the spiral staircase leading to Dumbledore’s office. “Is there any reason you two are running around the halls this time of night?”

  
  
“Mr. Crouch…came out of the forest…talking to Percy…not there…yelled he needed Dumbledore…” Harry said, taking deep breaths.

 

“What is the nonsense?” Snape asked.

  
  
“Professor, I don’t think Harry’s making this up.” The Hufflepuff defended.

  
  
“Even if what he says is true, Professor Dumbledore is in an important meeting right now.” Snape said to Cedric before fixing his gaze on Harry. “And is not to be disturbed.”

  
  
“But this is serious.” Harry said, glaring at Snape.

  
  
“Forgive me if, unlike several people, if I don’t take your word as gospel, Potter.” Snape returned.

  
  
Harry was just about to yell at Snape when Professors Dumbledore and Moody came down.

  
  
“Headmaster…” Snape began, but Dumbledore raising his hand kept him from continuing.

  
  
“What seems to be the problem boys?” Dumbledore asked, and Harry explained. “Lead the way.”

  
  
Harry then led Professors Dumbledore, Moody and Snape, and Cedric to where he left Viktor, and was shocked to see the Bulgarian Seeker on the ground. After inspection, Dumbledore said he was merely stunned, and revived Viktor.

  
  
“He attacked me!” Viktor immediately said. “I turned to see if Harry vos returning, and I don’t remember anything after that.”

  
  
Dumbledore sent Snape to fetch Karkaroff while Moody entered the forest to look for crouch. Karkaroff arrived, began yelling that the tournament was rigged, and Dumbledore sent the students off while he discussed things with the Durmstrang headmaster.

  
  
“Are you alright?” Harry asked Viktor.

  
  
“Other than my pride being damaged from being caught off guard by a crazy old man.” Viktor said, making Harry smile slightly. “I’m fine, thank you.”

  
  
“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have left you alone with him.” Harry apologised.

  
  
“Don’t be. One of us needed to get help.” Viktor said. “And if you didn’t, he might’ve gotten both of us.”

  
  
“Then it’s a good thing Harry didn’t.” Cedric chimed in, giving Harry a worried look.

  
  
“I vos vondering, how close are you two?” Viktor asked.

  
  
“Why do you ask?” Harry returned

  
  
“Vell, I often see you two together; in the library, in the hallways.” Viktor explained. “I just find it odd that two people from two different houses, on opposing Quidditch teams, and competing against each other in a dangerous competition are very friendly towards each other.”

  
  
“Well, us being on two different Quidditch teams is why we became friends in the first place.” Cedric replied. “And despite that, the house rivalry, and the tournament, we can still be friendly. We just don’t talk that much about the tournament.”

  
  
Viktor nodded, said goodnight to the two, and thanked Harry again before heading for the Durmstrang, while Harry and Cedric headed inside the castle.

  
  
“So, what did he want to talk about?” Cedric asked and Harry explained. “I see. Well, I agree with you; the two of them talking will make things easier for both of them, especially Joseph.”

  
  
“What do you reckon happened to Crouch that made him like that?” Harry asked.

  
  
“I’m not sure.” Cedric said with a frown. “What comes to mind is a memory charm that went wrong.”

  
  
“So, other than the blast-ended skrewts, what other creatures do you reckon Hagrid got to put in the maze?” Harry asked, trying to shift topics.

  
  
“I’m not sure, but hopefully, no dragons.” Cedric said with a smile, and Harry chuckled.

  
  
“Well, I’ve know what kind of creatures Hagrid wants as house pets, so I’m kinda terrified.” Harry said. “It’s going to be hard to prepare with only one month. Especially since we only know one thing that’s going to be in the maze.”

  
  
“Don’t worry, we’ll figure something out.” Cedric said, taking the younger teen’s hand and squeezing it.

  
  
“I know.” Harry said, squeezing back the Hufflepuff’s hand. “But more accurately, Hermione, Joseph, and Cho will figure something out.”

  
  
The two of them chuckled, and Cedric bent down to kiss Harry shortly. They said goodnight before sharing another quick kiss, and parting for the night.

 

As he lay on his bed that night, Harry couldn’t help feeling he had more to be worried about than the Third task.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter 33: Forever**

Harry sat in an empty room with Cedric, Hermione, Joseph, and Ron. They invited Cedric and Joseph since Harry was having trouble with the Shield Charm, and Cedric had already learned it and Victor taught it to Joseph. They were supposed to be practicing by now, but Harry had told them what he and Professor Dumbledore discussed the day before after Harry's scar hurt during Divination.

 

"Dumbledore really thinks You-Know-Who's getting stronger?" Ron asked nervously, and Harry nodded.

 

"Then why hasn't he done anything yet?" Cedric said, mostly out of worry.

 

"First, no one knows where You-Know-Who and Pettigrew are." Hermione pointed out. "They could be anywhere, and it's highly unlikely that they'd stay in one place. Second, Dumbledore is doing something; the argument he was having with Fudge last night was most likely about You-Know-Who."

 

"Whatever the case, Professor Dumbledore is right." Joseph said. "Harry needs to focus on the Third task. With the new info, the school will most likely tighten security, but that doesn't decrease the challenges or the dangers Harry and Cedric will face in the maze."

 

Everyone agreed, and began helping Harry and Cedric train. As Hermione helped Cedric with some curses, Joseph and Ron helped Harry with the Stunning Spell and Shield Charm. After a couple minutes, Harry was adept at stunning, but he could still improve when it came to the Shield charm. After practicing, Ron and Hermione went ahead. Cedric and Harry exchanged a couple of words and a quick kiss before the Hufflepuff left, and Joseph and Harry walked side by side towards the Gryffindor common room.

 

"How are you doing?" Harry asked. "With learning that..."

 

"I'm fine...I think" Joseph replied with a sigh. "It's just strange; my parents prepared me for this majority of my life, yet I still don't feel ready."

 

Not knowing what to say, Harry took the Slytherin's hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Joseph squeezed Harry's hand back in thanks and they walked in silence for a while.

 

"So...have you talked to Viktor?" Harry asked after a few minutes.

 

"You know I haven't" Joseph replied.

 

"You should." Harry stated. "Give him a chance to explain. Aren't you the one who values logic over emotion?"

 

The Slytherin didn't reply, but his pursed lips was all Harry needed to see to know that his friend had no rebuttal.

 

"Hear him out. After he's done, you can hate his guts all you want." Harry said. "At the least, you can get him to stop following you around"

 

A minute of silence passed before Joseph sighed and nodded, making the raven smile.

 

"Wipe that smile off your face Potter." Joseph said.

 

"Channeling your inner-Snape? Harry asked with a smirk.

 

"Be thankful I'm not a prefect, or Gryffindor would've lost all their points by now."

 

Joseph probably meant it seriously, but Harry couldn't help but laugh, and his friend even cracked a small smile. The two continued talking until they arrived in front of the entrance to the Gryffindor common room. Harry gave his friend a quick peck on the cheek before heading in and finishing up his assignments for the next day.

 

* * *

 

Joseph sighed as he stared out the window of the old, abandoned classroom he was waiting for Viktor in. He'd rather be working on a 5 parchment-long essay for Snape rather than do this, he'd rather be in Divination than do this. But Harry was right; if anything, at least he'll be able to get Viktor to stop following him around.

 

The creaking sound of the door made him look and there was Viktor. The Bulgarian seeker approached him with a small, unsure smile, and Joseph simply stared blankly at him. The Slytherin really didn't want to be here, and it seems Viktor sensed this, dropping his smile before taking a deep breath.

 

"Joseph... Look, I know you don't vant to talk vith me. Thank you for agreeing to see me," Victor said nervously. "I vant to apologize for my actions. I did not ever mean to hurt you."

 

"That's what they all say." Joseph replied as he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes

 

"I know," he sighed, running a hand over his head in frustration. "I don't know what to say. I vant to tell you vhat happened because I think you deserve to know. But I don't vant to upset you further. Can I explain?"

 

"As long as you stop actively trying to corner me after." Joseph returned, gesturing Viktor to get on with it

 

"Of course. Alright. Vith you, I really felt like I might have loved vith you, but I vos not sure. And these feelings between boy and boy...they are not velcome in my country. I had to be very sure that I loved you, or I vould risk my career...my life. I thought I vos sure. Then I found Herm-own-ninny... She vos much like you. Alvays studying... So much smarter than me... I liked her too. It vasn't until the second task that I knew who I loved really. I saw her in the vater... And I couldn't... I couldn't stand it. I knew that I loved her. I'm really sorry."

 

Joseph inhaled deeply and looked out the window again, and Viktor patiently awaited his response.

 

"Was I just someone you used to figure out who you were really attracted to?" Joseph asked.

 

"Of course not; I had strong feelings for both of you." Viktor replied. "But please be honest vith me; you dated me right after you and Draco broke up, yes?"

 

"Yes." Joseph nodded.

 

"So did you really like me, or vere you trying to replace Draco vith me?" Viktor asked back.

 

"I was still hurting, and I still wanted Draco." Joseph admitted. "But I liked you enough, and hoped you would be able to help me move on eventually."

 

"I understand." Viktor said. "But it vorked out, did it not? You are now vith Harry."

 

Joseph stiffened for a few seconds before he nodded

 

"Do you forgive me?" Viktor asked.

 

Joseph walked up to Viktor, and looked him the eyes for a few minutes before asking "Do you love her?"

 

"I do" Viktor said firmly with a nod

 

"Then I forgive you." Joseph said, and Viktor smiled

 

"Then, may ve talk and study together again?" Viktor asked

 

"It will take some time for me to be completely comfortable with you again, Viktor." Joseph stated. "But eventually, we will. Until then, we can talk when we are with Harry and Hermione."

 

Viktor nodded and the two shook hands before they parted ways outside the classroom.

 

* * *

 

The twenty-fourth of June arrived but despite all the help he got from his friends, Harry was extremely anxious about the third task. Voldemort plotting something might have been a big factor, but he was nervous enough for the maze and the challenges within it. Regardless, it wasn't long before that anxiety turned into anger after reading Skeeter's article about his scar hurting during Divination. Harry sighed and was about to get ready to leave for Professor Binns's class when Professor McGonagall approached him.

 

"Potter, the champions are gathering in the Trophy Room after breakfast." She said.

 

"But the task isn't until tonight." Harry said, hoping he didn't get the time wrong.

 

"I'm aware, but the families of the champions have been invited to watch the last task." McGonagall replied. "You will have part of the morning to speak with them."

 

The Head of Gryffindor walked away, and Harry and his friends debated on whether or not the Dursleys came. Once breakfast ended, the students left the Great Hall while Harry, Cedric, Fleur, and Viktor stayed behind. Fleur and Viktor immediately went in while Cedric and Harry walked to the door slowly.

 

"You nearly look as nervous as when we were about the start the Second Task." Cedric said with a small smile.

 

"I just don't know what to expect." Harry said. "The idea of the Dursleys being here is...strange."

 

"Don't worry; they'll behave since they're outnumbered." Cedric said with a small smile and Harry smiled back. "Ready to go in?"

 

"You go ahead. I need a minute." Harry said

 

Cedric went in, and Harry took a few minutes to compose himself. As we has about to enter, the door opened and Cedric stuck his head out.

 

"Come on Harry, they're waiting for you" He said with a smile.

 

Harry wondered why Cedric was smiling. It was probably just because he had seen his parents after so long. Regardless, Harry descended the spiral staircase until he reached the trophy room. He saw Cedric's mum, who smiled at him, Fleur with her mother and sister, and Viktor with his parents. When Harry neared the end, he was greeted by happy surprise.

 

"Harry dear, it's good to see you." Molly Weasley greeted before enveloping Harry in a tight hug.

 

"It's good to see you too, Mrs. Weasley." Harry said. "You too, Bill."

 

"Likewise." Bill said with a smile. "Charlie wanted to be here, but couldn't make it. He said you were amazing against that Hungarian Horntail, though."

 

"Now, you must tell us all about Joseph." Molly said. "How long have you two been dating? Oh, and what are his favourite foods? We should have him over for dinner."

 

Harry didn't know what to say, but thankfully, they were interrupted by Amos Diggory.

 

"Not so confident now that Ced has caught up on points?" He asked in a tone far from the one he had when they first met.

 

"Don't mind him" Cedric said. "He's still miffed about the article Skeeter wrote about Harry being the only Hogwarts champion."

 

"He didn't seem to correct her though." Amos replied.

 

"Amos, you should know better." Molly said. "All Skeeter publishes is rubbish, and she publishes them to cause trouble."

 

"Still, Harry could use improvement in some areas." The elder Diggory said.

 

"Amos..." Andrea warned, and Cedric had on an expression Harry had never seen on the brunette

 

"Yes, it's Harry's life. He may do and date who he pleases." Amos continued. "Not everyone can be perfect like our boy."

 

"That's enough." Cedric said firmly, making all of them look at him. "Mother, father, there's something I need to tell you."

 

"Cedric" Andrea said concernedly, but her son just shook his head.

 

"I'm done lying, hiding, and pretending someone I'm not." Cedric said

 

He then locked eyes with Harry, who was afraid of what might happen, but nodded. The Gryffindor was thankful Fleur, Viktor and their families had left already.

 

"Mum, dad." Cedric began, taking a deep breath before continuing. "I'm gay."

 

A ringing silence followed. Molly tried to usher Harry and Bill out of the room, but Harry stayed rooted where he stood.

 

“It’s alright son, you don’t have to lie to make you friend feel better.” Amos said.

 

“I’m not lying.” Cedric replied. “And if I was going to make Harry feel better, it’s not because he’s my friend. I’d make him feel better because he was my boyfriend.”

 

“What?” The four others asked in unison.

 

“You and Harry are together?” Bill asked, followed by Mrs. Weasley asking “What about you and Joseph?”

 

Amos looked livid, even more so when he looked at his wife and she had no reaction.

 

“You knew?” He asked.

 

“Of course I did.” Andrea replied

 

“Then why didn’t you tell me that our son was…was….”

 

“Was in love? In a relationship? The happiest he’s ever been in his entire life?”

 

Amos turned to Harry, and quickly stomped closer.

 

“This is your fault.” He said. “You’ve corrupted my son.”

 

“Don’t you dare blame Harry.” Molly said as she pulled Harry to move behind her, and Bill move to stand beside his mother

 

“Harry has done nothing. I was always this way.” Cedric said, immediately getting in between the Weasleys and his father. “If you bothered to actually get to know me like a real son, and had not focused on how I was affecting or what I was going to do for the family name, then you would’ve known.”

 

“Listen here Amos, I understand why you want Cedric to do well, all parents want that for their children, but you want Cedric to be perfect in every sense, which is impossible.” Andrea said. “You shouldn’t be concerned about what the world thinks of him, less so what the world thinks of you because him. What you should be concerned about is whether or not your son is happy.” Amos gave no response save for his glare. “If you cannot accept Cedric as he is, welcome Harry into our home, and be genuinely happy for them, then it will no longer be our home.”

 

Amos opened his mouth to say something, but before he uttered a single word, he was pounced on by a huge, black, shaggy dog.

 

“Oh dear, my apologies Amos.” Professor Dumbledore said as he approached. “Snuffles is very playful, but doesn’t seem to know how big he is.”

 

“Professor Dumbledore, you have a dog?” Molly asked.

 

“Oh no, Snuffles belongs to a friend of mine. His work requires him to travel a lot, and he sometimes cannot bring Snuffles, so I watch over him.” The headmaster replied as he helped Amos up. “Apologies again, Amos. Also, I have an urgent matter to discuss with you in m office.”

 

Amos merely nodded in agreement, and he and Dumbledore left after the headmaster asked Harry to look after Snuffles. Harry and Cedric sighed in relief before the older teen pulled the other into a tight hug.

 

“Are you alright?” Harry asked.

 

“Yes. It feels like a weight has been lifted.” Cedric smiled, and Harry smiled back.

 

“Glad both of you are alright, but can you guys explain what’s happening?” Bill asked.

 

The next few minutes were spent listening to Harry and Cedric explain everything, from when they got together the year before, to their friendship with Joseph, their plan to come out together at the Yule Ball, Harry still wanting to come out and took Joseph, and why they’re still pretending to be together.

 

“Who else knows?” Bill asked.

 

“Hermione, Ron, and Cho.” Harry replied.

 

“We’re really sorry for going through this complicated lie.” Cedric said.

 

“It’s understandable. People like Skeeter would’ve had a field day with a story like this.” Molly said. “What’s important is that you and Harry are happy, dear.”

 

“Thank you.” Harry said with a smile.

 

“Well, why don’t we let these two spend the rest of their morning together?” Andrea suggested, and the Weasleys agreed.

 

“Do you want us to take Snuffles?” Bill asked.

 

“No, it’s alright.” Harry replied. “We both know each other well.”

 

After exchanging hugs, Andrea, Molly, and Bill left. After waiting a couple of minutes, Sirius returned to his human form, hugging his godson immediately.

 

“While I’m grateful for what you did, you could’ve seriously hurt Mr. Diggory.” Harry said after they pulled away.

 

“Trust me; I wanted to do a lot more than seriously hurt him.” Sirius replied. “And I would’ve too if Dumbledore had let me.”

 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Harry asked as he turned to his boyfriend.

 

“Yes.” Cedric said with a smile. “I don’t have to pretend anymore.”

 

“Well, the world still thinks Joseph and I are together.” Harry said.

 

“I meant pretend where and to who matters.” Cedric returned. “I can be myself in my own home.”

 

“What about your dad?” Harry asked.

 

“When he wasn’t a complete arse, he was a good father.” Cedric admitted. “But I support my mum’s decision; if he can’t accept me for who I am, welcome you, and be genuinely happy for us, then we can forget about him.”

 

Harry pulled Cedric into a tight hug, and they stayed like that for a while until Sirius clearing his throat made them pull apart, turning Harry’s face as red as a tomato.

 

“So Sirius, did Professor Dumbledore bring you here for extra security?” Cedric asked.

 

“Mostly to discuss what I had learned, but we headed down immediately when one of the portraits informed us what was happening.” Sirius replied. “But there will be more security since Fudge will be taking Crouch’s job as the fifth judge for the final task. There will be a couple more aurors who’ll be trying to figure out where Crouch went.”

 

Harry nodded and seeing as they had the morning to themselves, Harry and Cedric walked together with Sirius, as snuffles, while discussing their strategies for the third task

 

* * *

 

The next couple hours flew by; after having lunch with his friends, Harry and Cedric went to practice the spells they studied, being joined by their friends when they had the time. Harry was worried about Cedric after what happened that morning, but his boyfriend seemed fine. They talked about summer plans, and their upcoming school years during their breaks. They finished up at dinner and headed to the Great Hall. Harry asked Cedric once more before they entered if he was alright, and Cedric assured him he was, giving his boyfriend a quick peck on the lips before going in and heading to his table.

 

“Hey Harry.” Hermione greeted. “How was practice? Have you gotten a handle on the spells you had trouble with yesterday?”

 

“Good, and yes.” Harry replied as he sat down, immediately looking to where Cedric was.

 

“Is there something wrong?” Hermione asked.

 

“I’m just worried about Cedric.” Harry replied.

 

“Well, he said he was fine, and he does seem calmer than usual.” Hermione said and Harry agreed. “So what’s the problem?”

 

“I don’t know.” Harry sighed. “I just have a terrible feeling something’s going to happen.”

 

“I get that, but Cedric is fine. Whatever his father chooses to do won’t be your or his fault.” Hermione said. “And if you’re worried about You-Know-Who, there’s so much security around the castle and grounds now.”

 

“Plus, we’ve got Moody, Dumbledore, and Snuffles here too.” Ron mumbled with his mouth full of food.

 

“Ron’s right.” Hermione agreed. “So try not to worry too much. Everything will be fine.”

 

Harry nodded and talked to his friends while he ate, looking up at his boyfriend every few minutes. After dinner, Harry returned to his dorm to get ready while the rest of the school headed for the venue of the last task. When he exited the Gryffindor common room, he was surprised to see Joseph standing there.

 

“Hey, what’re you doing here?” Harry asked.

 

“Is it wrong for me to want to walk with my boyfriend?” Joseph said with a smirk and offered his arm.

 

Harry rolled his eyes, but smiled and took the taller raven’s arm.

 

“How are you feeling?” Joseph asked as he led them down the staircase.

 

“Nervous.” Harry admitted.

 

“Don’t worry. I’m sure Dumbledore didn’t allow Hagrid to put anything in there that might kill you...” Joseph said and Harry gave him a look. “…quick enough that help won’t be able to get to you first.”

 

“Thanks, but I just have this sinking feeling something’s bad is going to happen.” Harry sighed.

 

“Listen, we can’t be sure nothing will go wrong.” Joseph said. “But you shouldn’t focus on that. Just focus on the Third task first.”

 

“What if something happens to Cedric?” Harry asked worriedly.

 

“Hey, neither you nor Cedric got past dragons, merpeople, and ballroom dancing to fail now.” Joseph said, making Harry smile.

 

“Thank you.” Harry said as they stopped in front of the champions’ room.

 

“You’re welcome.” Joseph returned. “Now, focus and make sure you or Ced beat Viktor and Fleur.”

 

“I thought you and Viktor are good.” Harry asked.

 

“We are, but I still want my school to win.” Joseph said with a smirk.

 

The Slytherin gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek before going to sit with his friends at the stadium. Harry walked into the champions’ room, greeted Fleur and Viktor, and smiled when he saw Cedric. Cedric turned to face him and smiled back.

 

“Hey.” Harry greeted as he approached.

 

“Hey.” Cedric greeted back.  “How are you feeling?”

 

“Nervous.” Harry sighed.

 

“Me too.” Cedric returned.

 

The brunette moved to pull the Gryffindor into a tight hug, but remembered where they were, and put his arms back at his sides.

 

“At least, by the time this is all over, you and Joseph don’t have to pretend to be a couple anymore.” Cedric said.

 

“Joseph said we have to wait a week or two.” Harry said. “If I lose, we’ll start the rumour that he was just with me because he thought I’d win the tournament.”

 

“Do you want to win?” Cedric asked

 

“Honestly, I just want this entire school year to be over.” Harry said.

 

“But do you want to win?” Cedric asked again.

 

“Of course I do.” Harry replied. “But there’s no way I’m beating you.”

 

“Hey, it doesn’t matter if you or I win, or if both of us lose.” Cedric said with a smile. “After all this, we both get to be together in public, I won’t have to pretend to be someone I’m not at home, and when we go to Joseph’s family’s private beach, I’m going to wear something you’ll really love.”

 

“Is it something tight?” Harry asked with a blush.

 

“Actually, I’ve changed my mind.” Cedric said before lowering his voice to a whisper. “I’ve decided to wear nothing at all.”

 

“You know our other friends will be there.” Harry stated, his face getting redder with every second.

 

“So? Let them enjoy the show.” Cedric said with a smirk.

 

A few minutes later, Professors McGonagall and Flitwick entered, informing them that they will enter the stadium in a few minutes.

 

“The two of us, along with Professor Moody and Hagrid will be patrolling the outskirts of the maze.” Minerva informed them. “If any of you find yourself in trouble or cannot continue, send red sparks into the air, and one of us will be with you shortly.”

 

The champions nodded and began preparing themselves. Soon, it was time for them to start; Ludo Bagman began by summarising how the champions did before introducing them. First was Fleur, who looked like she was about to throw up when Ludo reminded everyone how she did in the second task, but put on a confident look as she walked out after her name was called.

 

“Good luck to you both.” Viktor said as he turned to the two Hogwarts champions. “Perhaps during the summer, ve could come together and see who the best seeker is.”

 

“Good luck to you too.” Harry replied. “But I think it would be a little unfair to Cedric and I since you’ve already played in the World Cup Final.”

 

“Please.” Viktor scoffed. “I saw how vell you flew in the first task. You could easily give a lot of seekers in the league a run for their money.”

 

“Harry does handle a broom well.” Cedric said, making Harry blush slightly.

 

“Did you have to make that remark?” Harry asked once Viktor left.

 

“What? You do ride a broom well.” Cedric returned with a smirk. “You’re also good at maintaining them. You probably polish yours every day.”

 

“I haven’t needed to do that since you’ve started doing it for me.” Harry returned despite his face nearly being completely red.

 

“Want me to polish it tonight?” Cedric asked with a smile.

 

“Ideally you’d do it every day, but tonight works.”  Harry returned.

 

The two shared a short kiss before Cedric entered the stadium, and Harry joined him next to Professor Dumbledore minutes later.

 

“Now, just to remind everyone, since Mr. Potter and Diggory are tied for first place, they will enter the maze first with a head start.” Ludo announced. “Next will be Mr. Krum, then Ms. Delacour.  The Triwizard cup is located in the middle of the maze. The first to get to the cup will receive full marks.”

 

“Now boys, I want you to be careful.” Dumbledore said to his students. “Your obstacles will not just be the various creatures, spells and charms put in place, but the maze itself. The maze is alive and if you let it, the maze will begin changing you. Keep your guard up, and do not lose yourselves.”

 

Harry and Cedric nodded and got into position in front of the maze entrances. Harry looked around at all his schoolmates, the students from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, Mrs. Weasley and Bill, and Mrs. Diggory. Looking at all their happy faces and cheering filled Harry with pride, and determination.

 

“Ready?” Harry asked Cedric.

 

“See you when I win.” Cedric returned with a smirk.

 

“Don’t you mean when I win?” Harry returned with a smirk of his own.

 

“Cedric and Harry, enter the maze on my whistle. Three…two…one…” Ludo announced, the two Hogwarts students mouthing ‘I love you to each other.’

 

Ludo blew the whistle, and Harry and Cedric ran into the maze. As they got deeper, their surroundings got darker, making them both cast _Lumos._ They arrived at the end, and they split up, Cedric going right while Harry went left. He heard Ludo blow his whistle again, signalling that Krum was coming into the maze. Despite wanting to focus on the task, Harry couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going to happen. The maze growing darker with every second didn’t help either. Harry had been running for a few minutes, but he had not come across a single obstacle. He was getting unnerved by this, but he then remembered what Dumbledore had said, and perhaps the maze was lulling him into a false sense of security. Just then, he heard movement. He held out his wand, ready to attack, but the beam of light fell on Cedric.

 

“The Blast-Ended Skrewts.” He said in between pants, making sure not to wipe his face with the sleeve that wasn’t smoking. “They’re huge. I barely got away.”

 

Cedric assured Harry he was fine before starting to run again. Harry, determined not to face the Skrewts, went the other way. Just as he thought he had avoided danger, he turned and saw a dementor gliding towards him. Harry could feel himself get colder as the dark creature moved closer, but he steeled himself. He began thinking about seeing Sirius again and introducing him to Cedric, Cedric standing up to his father for his sake, and being able to finally be with Cedric always once all of this was over.

 

“Expecto Patronum.” Harry casted and a silver stag erupted from the end of Harry’s wand.

 

The stag charged, making the dementor trip over its robe. Harry realised that it wasn’t a real dementor, but just a boggart.

 

“Ridikulus.” Harry casted, making the boggart explode into a wisp of smoke.

 

Harry quickly moved, running as fast as his legs could go. He ran into two dead ends, and used the Four-Point spell again. He followed and saw an odd golden mist. He approached hit cautiously. He casted _Reducto_ on it, but nothing happened, making him realise that the Reductor curse only worked on solid objects. He was debating whether to go through the mist or turn back when he heard a scream.

 

“Fleur?” Harry called out, but no one responded.

 

Steeling himself again, Harry ran into the mist and the world turned upside down; he was hanging from the ground, his glasses threatened to fall into the bottomless sky. After securing his glasses and hung there, terrified. He weighed his options; try to move and potentially fall into the sky, or send red sparks and be rescued. Taking in a deep breath and gathering all his courage, he shut his eyes and pulled up his right foot. Suddenly, the world righted itself, and Harry fell forward to his knees. After getting over his shock, Harry got up and started looking for Fleur, calling out to her. He stopped to  catch his breath and wonder what could’ve happened to her. He felt worried about her, and worried if he would meet the same thing she did, but at the same time, he felt a strange sense of relief.

 

‘One champion down.’ Harry thought to himself.

 

He knew he was close to the Triwizard Cup. He could actually win this. Fleur was no longer in the running, as far as he knew. He met nothing for the next couple minutes except dead ends. He found a new route, gaining new confidence until he met a Blast-Ended Skrewt. Harry cast a stunning spell, but the spell rebounded and flew back. Harry ducked in time not to be hit by it.

 

“Impedimenta” Harry casted, but the spell hit the skrewt’s shell again.

 

He kept casting the spell as he staggered back from the advancing skrewt. Finally, Harry hit its weak spot; the shell-less underside. Catching his breath, Harry ran, knowing that the Impediment curse wasn’t permanent. He was hurrying along when he heard something that made him stop dead in his tracks.

 

“What are you doing?” Cedric’s voice yelled.

 

“Crucio.” Viktor said.

 

The air was then full of Cedric’s scream and began running, looking for a way to Cedric. When he failed, he used the Reductor curse on the maze wall. It wasn’t effective, but it made a hole. Harry forced his leg through, kicking at the thick brambles and branches until they broke and made an opening. He forced himself through, tearing his clothes. Once he was through, he saw Cedric jerking and twitching on the ground and Viktor standing over him.

 

“Stupefy.” Harry casted and Viktor fell to the ground as Harry ran towards Cedric. “Cedric, are you alright?”

 

“Yeah.” Cedric said after he caught his breath. “I don’t know what happened. He crept up on me. I heard him and turned around and he had his wand on me.”

 

“I don’t believe this.” Harry said as he helped Cedric up. “What do you think happened?”

 

“I don’t know, but I have been having these weird thoughts…” Cedric said before shaking his head. “Do you think he got Fleur?”

 

“I hope not.” Harry said, sending up red sparks.

 

“I guess we better go.” Cedric said suddenly.

 

Harry then realised that he and Cedric were the only two who had a chance to win. The concern he had felt earlier for Cedric was now replaced with a desire to reach the Cup first. They walked together until they reached the end and they split up, with Harry going left and Cedric going right. As he walked more, his desire to reach the Cup got stronger and stronger. Despite that, he couldn’t believe Viktor had used and Unforgivable curse. He’d be sent to Azkaban if he was going to be tried in Britain. Surely he couldn’t have wanted to win that badly…Harry sped up his steps. The next few minutes, he met more dead ends. He got frustrated, but as the maze got darker, he realised that he was getting closer to the centre. Suddenly, he faced a sphinx.

 

“You are near your goal.” She said as she paced side to side on the path. “The quickest way is past me.”

 

“So will you move, please?” Harry asked, despite knowing the answer.

 

“No.” The sphinx replied. “Not unless you can answer my riddle. Answer on your first guess, I shall let you pass. Give an incorrect answer, I will attack. Remain silent and you may walk away unscathed.”

 

Harry began getting nervous; Hermione was the one who took care of anything that required logic. Weighing his chances, Harry decided to hear the riddle. He figured that if it was too hard, he could remain silent and look for another route

 

_First think of the person who lives in disguise,_

_Who deals in secrets and tells naught but lies._

_Next, tell me what’s always the last thing to mend,_

_The middle of the middle and end of the end?_

_And finally give me the sound often heard_

_During the search for a hard-to-find word._

_Now string them together and answer me this._

_Which creature would you be most unwilling to kiss?_

“Can I have it again…more slowly?” Harry asked tentatively, and the sphinx did so. “All the clues will add up to a creature I wouldn’t kiss?”

 

The sphinx merely smiled here mysterious smile, and Harry took it as a ‘yes.’ Harry then began mumbling, trying to figure out the riddle, asking the sphinx to repeat the lines. It took him a few minutes, but he answered ‘spider’ and the sphinx let him pass. He dashed, thinking that he had to be close to the Cup After a couple minutes he saw a light and there it was; the Triwizard Cup was sitting on a plinth a hundred yards away. He began walking towards it slowly when Cedric arrived next to him. They both looked at each other, then the cup, then ran towards it, trying to bump each other out of the way. Suddenly, vines started coming out of the hedges and chased after the two teens. One circled around Cedric’s leg, tripping the Hufflepuff.

 

“Harry…help!” Cedric called out as more vines grabbed onto his legs. “Harry!”

 

Harry stopped and turned to look at Cedric. Part of him wanted to go help him, but another part was telling him to forget about his boyfriend and go, win the tournament.

 

“Harry!.” Cedric called once more

 

That did it; Harry ran towards his boyfriend and as soon as he got close, casted _Incendio_ on the vines.

 

“You alright?” Harry asked as he helped Cedric up.

 

“Yeah.” Cedric nodded. “Thanks for saving me again.”

 

The two walked in silence towards the Cup.

 

“Hey about me hesitating…” Harry began, but Cedric shook his head.

 

“There was something telling you to forget about me, and go get the Cup?” Cedric said and Harry nodded. “I heard something similar, like push you aside, trip you. I was concerned about Fleur, but I immediately got over the worry once I realised that I had a better chance at winning.”

 

“Me too.” Harry said with a nod. “It’s like Professor Dumbledore said.”

 

“So, who should take it?” Cedric asked.

 

“You should take it.” Harry said. “I didn’t even want to be in the tournament.”

 

“No you should take it.” Cedric returned. “You’ve saved me twice now.”

 

“That’s not how it’s supposed to work. Take it, you’ve been preparing since the summer. I’ve just been getting by through luck.”

 

“No.”

 

“Stop being so noble, Ced.”

 

“You told me about the dragons. If you hadn’t, I would’ve left that task with more than a few minor burns.”

 

“And you told me about the egg.”

 

“You should’ve gotten more points during the Second Task. I should’ve helped the others too.”

 

“I was the only one daft enough to take the song seriously. Just take it.”

 

“No.”

 

Harry stared at his boyfriend, shocked that he’d give up something he had been training for because he was honourable, noble, and kind. Harry pulled the taller teen into a kiss. Cedric was surprised, but kissed back.

 

“What was that for?” Cedric asked when they pulled away.

 

“For just being amazing.” Harry said with a smile.

 

“So you’ll take the cup?” Cedric asked/

 

“No.” Harry said. “But I have a solution; we take it at the same time. It’s a Hogwarts victory either way”

 

Cedric nodded and pecked Harry on the lips before they moved closer to the cup. Harry counted down, and he and Cedric grabbed the cup at the same time. They immediately felt a strong pull, their feet had left the ground, and they couldn’t let go of the Cup. Their feet soon landed on the ground and they fell to the floor, their hands letting go of the cup. The two of them looked around and saw that they had left Hogwarts grounds, and landed in a dark, overgrown graveyard.

 

“Did anyone tell you the Cup was a portkey?” Cedric asked

 

“No.” Harry replied as they got up. “Do you think this is part of the task?”

 

“I don’t know.” Cedric returned. “Wands out.”

 

Harry nodded and began scouring the graveyard. The feeling that something bad was going to happen had intensified. As he moved around, he read some names on the tombstones. He arrived at a grave with a statue of the angel of death on it. The grave was older and Harry, without thinking, wiped the tombstone and he felt his blood become cold; on the tombstone was the name ‘Riddle.’

 

“Cedric, we’ve got to get out of here.” Harry said.

 

“What’s wrong?” Cedric asked.

 

Suddenly, Harry’s scar exploded with pain; it felt like his head was going to split open.

 

“Harry! Harry, what’s wrong?” Cedric asked as he ran to Harry’s side when the Gryffindor fell to his knees.

 

Suddenly, the door to the crypt opened, and out walked Peter Pettigrew. Cedric raised his wand and demanded that Pettigrew stop.

 

“Cedric…” Harry tried warning his boyfriend, but the pain was too much.

 

“Kill the spare.”

 

* * *

 

The darkness of the night enveloped the ancient school. Despite the Triwizard Cup ending, there were no celebrations, no cheers, not even from Gryffindor. The entire school, including the delegations from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons, stayed silent and wept for the loss of Cedric Diggory. Harry was lying awake on a bed in the hospital wing, staring out the window. He had spent the past hour crying his eyes out, but he still felt like he could cry for hours more. The Gryffindor had not just been crying though, he had also been blaming himself for Cedric’s death. The sound of footsteps pulled him out of his thoughts. They got louder and louder, until the curtain hiding him from the others opened and closed, without anyone appearing. It was a few seconds later when Joseph removed the invisibility cloak.

 

“Hermione let me borrow it.” Joseph said before giving a small smile. “I’ll be sure to keep it under wraps that you have it once I’m a prefect.”

 

Harry stared at him for a few seconds before returning gazing out the window. Joseph folded up the cloak, setting it on the side table before sitting next to the Gryffindor.

 

“Harry, I’m sorry.” Joseph said as he reached to take Harry’s hand, but the shorter raven pulled it away.

 

“Don’t…” Harry whispered.

 

“I’m trying to comfort you.” Joseph explained.

 

“Don’t because you can’t.” Harry said, turning to face the other way. “No one can. Just leave me alone.”

 

“Look, I know that you’re feeling terrible right now, but you shouldn’t push everyone away.” Joseph said, and sighed, getting slightly angry when the Gryffindor didn’t respond. “You’re not the only one who lost someone important to them today.”

 

Joseph stood and was about to take the invisibility cloak and leave, when he felt arms wraps around his waist and Harry burying his face into his back.

 

“Please don’t go, I’m sorry.” Harry said, his voice starting to crack.”I just…I just…”

 

The Slytherin sat down again and enveloped the Gryffindor in a tight hug. Harry buried his face into Joseph’s chest and cried, gripping the taller raven’s robes desperately.

 

“He;s gone…” Harry said after a couple of minutes of crying, and Joseph held him tighter. “It’s all my fault.”

 

“It’s not. You couldn’t have predicted that the Cup would’ve transported you to him.” Joseph said.

 

“Cedric told me to take it.” Harry said, his eyes watering up again. “If I had done so, he wouldn’t have be brought to the cemetery…he would still be…”

 

“Cedric wouldn’t want you to beat yourself up over this.” Joseph said, rubbing Harry’s back comfortingly. “And you didn’t kill Cedric. You weren’t the one who casted the spell.”

 

“He called Cedric a spare.” Harry said, part of his sorrow turning into rage.

 

“You-Know-Who separates people into two categories; pawns that’ll be used to accomplish his ambitions.” Joseph said sadly. “Or enemies that need to be crushed.”

 

The next few minutes, Harry’s sobs had stopped, but there was an uncomfortable silence. The reality they had all been dreading had come.

 

“We’re going to be on different sides now, aren’t we?” Harry asked, his arms wrapping around the Slytherin tighter

 

“Different sides, but working towards the same goal.” Joseph returned, rubbing Harry’s back.

 

“I don’t want to lose you.” Harry said as he pulled away, looking directly into his friend’s eyes. “I can’t lose you.”

 

“Harry, I’m sure you know as well as I do that a war is coming.” Joseph began, holding Harry’s hand tightly, and the shorter raven nodded. “In every war, there will be casualties. We don’t know who’ll live and who’ll die. The best we can hope for is that there aren’t that many. And I promise, I’ll do all I can to help you win.”

 

“No.” Harry said as he shook his head. “Do all you can to stay alive. Please.”

 

Joseph nodded and the two shared another long, tight hug before Joseph gave Harry a Dreamless Sleep potion. The Slytherin then sat with Harry until he fell asleep before putting on the invisibility cloak, and heading back to his dorm. He removed the cloak before he entered the dorm and immediately stuffed it into his trunk. After cleaning up quickly and putting on his sleepwear, he walked towards his bed and opened the curtains to find Draco lying on it.

 

“How is Potter doing?” Draco asked.

 

“Doing as well as anyone who just witnessed their boyfriend being murdered right before their eyes.” Joseph said as he shut the curtains.

 

After casting silencing charms, Joseph lied on his side facing Draco, and immediately pulled the blonde into a tight hug, and Draco hugged back. After Harry returned with the Triwizard Cup and Cedric’s lifeless body, Joseph headed for his dorm, stopping only when he got there, and began sobbing. Draco had followed him back and after composing himself after a couple of minutes, Joseph told him how he and Harry became friends by helping Harry get together with Cedric the previous year, being in a secret relationship with Harry to help him and Cedric stop any rumours of the two Hogwarts champions working together, and everything else, especially how he had greatly cared for Harry and Cedric. After a couple of questions from Draco, including him asking whether or not Joseph had any feelings towards his rival, Draco nodded and spent the next couple minutes comforting his friend.

 

“What happens now?” Draco asked after a while.

 

  
“I don’t know Draco.” Joseph sighed, rubbing the blonde’s back comfortingly. “You, as well as all our friends, know that he’s back.”

 

Draco nodded and hugged Joseph tighter. Joseph did the same.

 

“Potter knows about your parents, right?” Draco asked and Joseph nodded. “How’d he take it that you won’t be working together?”

 

“He was disheartened and upset, of course, but he understands we’ll be working towards the same end.” Joseph said before staring at Draco. “For being his rival, you sure are taking an interest in Harry’s well-being.”

 

“Well, he is your friend.” Draco said with a slight blush. “For that reason, I’ll tolerate him.”

 

Joseph smiled a small smile, taking Draco’s chin and making the blonde look up at him. The blonde blushed more, making Joseph smile wider. The taller Slytherin then leaned down, sharing a soft kiss with Draco. They pulled away after a few minutes, both of them smiling softly.

 

“Things are going to get harder from now on, aren’t they?” Draco asked with a sigh, burying his face into Joseph’s neck.

 

“Yes, but we’ll be there for each other.” Joseph said returned.

 

Draco nodded and the two share a couple more sweet kisses before drifting off to sleep.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning Harry had breakfast and was examined by Madame Pomfrey. After she had the results, he would be free to go. Unfortunately for Harry, one of the moments he’d been dreading was about to happen; talking to Cedric’s parents.

 

“Harry, how are you feeling?” Andrea Diggory asked while her husband got another chair.

 

“Terrible.” Harry replied. “Better than last night, but still terrible.”

 

Andrea nodded in understanding, pulling the teen into a tight hug. They pulled away after a few minutes; a couple of tears had escaped their eyes. Andrea sat next to Amos and they asked Harry to tell them what happened. Taking a deep breath, Harry recounted the events of the final task, stuttering and struggling to continue after telling them that he suggested he and Cedric take the Cup together.

 

“Harry, it wasn’t your fault.” Andrea said as she stood, pulling Harry into another hug.

 

“If I had just taken the Cup myself…he would still be here.” Harry said, tears starting to fall down his cheeks.

 

The next few minutes, the only sound in the hospital wing was that of Harry’s sobs and Andrea trying to comfort him. Once he’d calmed down, he was expecting to hear something comforting and he did, but from someone he didn’t expect.

 

“It wasn’t your fault.” Amos said. “You-Know-Who’s a hundred times more ruthless and cruel than all his followers combined. Stop beating yourself up over it, Ced wouldn’t want you to do that.”

 

“Mr. Diggory…” Harry began, but Amos mere shook his head.

 

“I apologise for the way I acted. I was too concerned about what other people thought of Cedric, what they thought of me, that I couldn’t be happy when he found someone who made him as happy as my wife makes me.” Amos said, his tears began falling. “I was a terrible father, and the last thing Ced and I did before he passed was fight.”

 

“You were not a terrible father, Amos.” Andrea said as she hugged her husband. “Cedric loved you.”

 

“She’s right.” Harry agreed. “Despite hating the pressure you put on him, Cedric loved you and thought you were an amazing father. He told me all about the amazing times you spent together, like when you brought him with you when you visited your friend who was a magizoologist. He had an amazing day interacting with all the magical creatures at the preserve.”

 

“Thank you Harry.” Amos said with a small smile. “And thank you more for bringing Ced’s body back.”

 

“When will you have the funeral?” Harry asked.

 

“In three days, once all our relatives arrive at our house.” Andrea replied. “If you’d like, we can ask Professor Dumbledore to allow you to attend.”

 

Harry nodded and thanked them. The Gryffiindor then insisted that the winnings from the tournament should’ve been Cedric’s, but the Diggorys refused, and Harry decided not to pass the money onto them. Madame Pomfrey returned a couple minutes after the Diggorys left. After telling Harrry to take it easy for the next few days, she allowed him to leave. Hermione and Ron met him outside their common room. When they entered, several of their housemates congratulated Harry, but none of them could put on a smile while doing so. Harry understood why, and gave them a polite thank you in response. They entered Harry and Ron’s dorm, their friends also congratulating Harry before leaving to give the trio some privacy.

 

“Are you really alright Harry?” Hermione asked.

 

“No.” Harry sighed. “Honestly, I don’t think I’ll feel alright for a while.”

 

“Whatever you need mate, we’re here for you.” Ron said and Harry nodded his thanks.

 

“Do you want to do anything right now?” Hermione asked.

 

“Can you help me come up with who I can hand these galleons to?” Harry asked.

 

As if on cue, Fred and George came in, both of them giving Harry long, tight hugs. They explained that since he had told Molly about him and Cedric, the entire family, except Percy, knew already. Harry sighed, but thanked them. As they were being concerned older brothers, an idea struck Harry. Harry asked to talk to them in private. The twins were confused when they turned back at him, and they became even more confused when Harry offered them his winnings.

 

“Take it.” Harry said. “I don’t want it.”  


“You’re mental.” George said.

 

“Take it and use it to start your joke shop.” Harry said.

 

“He is mental.” Fred said.

 

“Look, I don’t want this money.” Harry said firmly. “I don’t want nor do I need it. If you don’t take it, I’ll dump all these galleons down the toilet.”

 

“There must be a thousand galleons in here.” Fred exclaimed.

 

“Are you sure about this?” George asked.

 

“Yes.” Harry said. “Look, we all know what’s coming; a war. It won’t be long before we’re all going to need a few laughs.”

 

The twins gave Harry tight hugs again, thanking him over and over.

 

“If you need anything Harry, just say the word.” Fred said

 

“Thanks.” Harry said. “Do me one favour, though; get Ron some new dress robes and say they’re from you.”

 

The twins agreed and left with huge smiles. Harry smiled to himself, glad that that money would be put to good use.

 

* * *

 

The funeral was painful for everyone there. Along with Harry, Professor Dumbledore allowed Cho and Hermione to attend the funeral. Hermione may not have been as close to Cedric as the other two, but she cared for him greatly too, and she cried just as much as Cho. Cedric’s parents decided to bury him on a hill underneath a tall and shady tree. On any other day, the hill would’ve had a beautiful view of the valley, but not today. The rain gently poured and the sky was grey. The funeral had ended several minutes ago, but Harry, Cho, and Hermione were still there. Harry was standing in front of Cedric’s grave while the two girls waited for him by the portkey that would take them to the Diggorys’ house.

 

“Harry’s been there a while.” Cho said.

 

“I know.” Hermione said with a sigh.

 

“Should we go talk to him?” Cho asked.

 

“No” Hermione said as she shook her head. “Let him be alone for now.”

 

Cho nodded and they continued to watch Harry. Harry didn’t know how long he had been standing there. He didn’t know why he was still standing there, but he wanted to say something. He knew he wasn’t going to get a response, but he still had to say something.

 

“Hey Ced.” Harry finally said.

 

As expected there was no response, but it still broke Harry’s heart a little. Despite that, he still kept going.

 

“I’m really thankful for what you parents had inscribed.” Harry said, a small smile appearing on his face. “ _Cedric Diggory-an amazing son, an even better friend, and the best boyfriend._ ”

 

The small smile on Harry’s face disappeared as anger filled his body.

 

“You shouldn’t have died like that. I promise, I’ll beat him, I’ll beat Voldemort, and make sure he never hurts anyone again.”

 

The Impervius charm on him wore off and the rain made contact with his skin and clothes. Hermione and Cho had already renewed the charm for themselves, but Harry didn’t. He let the rain fall on his skin, he even looked up at the grey skies.

 

“Grey, just like your eyes.” Harry said sadly as he returned his gaze back to the grave.

 

“Harry…” He heard Hermione say. “We should go.”

 

“I just need to do one more thing.” Harry said and Hermione nodded.

 

Harry had said all he needed to say, except one last thing. Undoing the top two button’s of his shirt, Harry took off his necklace. He stared down at it, his tears starting to fall as all the seconds he spent with Cedric came rushing back.

 

“I promise…” He whispered to the necklace cupped in his hands. “I promise I will love you forever.”

 

Harry levitated the necklace, placing it above Cedric’s name and casted a spell that made it disappear, but a snitch had become etched into the space above the Hufflepuff’s name. Hermione and Cho wrapped their arms around Harry and the three of them wept for several minutes. After, as they were walking back to the portkey, as a very unclear and scary future lay ahead of them, Harry knew one thing was certain; he knew that he would keep his promise, and always love Cedric Diggory.


	36. Preview: A Promise Fulfilled

**A Promise Fulfilled**

Harry groaned, his head was hurting like hell. He slowly opened his eyes and immediately noticed the white walls, and white tiles on the floor. Why was he at St. Mungo’s?  Did something go wrong during a mission?

 

“Ah you’re finally awake.” He heard someone say.

 

He saw Joseph approaching him, checking a clipboard that were most likely his vital signs.

 

“Joseph, what’s going on?” Harry asked. “Why am I here?”

 

Joseph opened his mouth to say something, but the door opened, and Harry’s eyes widened.

 

“Cedric?” Harry said as he stared in disbelief.

 

“Harry, thank Merlin you’re alright.” Cedric said, pulling the shorter male into a tight hug.

 

“I don’t understand.” Harry said, but hugged back. “What happened?”

 

Was he dreaming? Cedric definitely felt real. Perhaps he had ingested something experimental from Joseph’s lab.

 

“I’m going to go pick up James from my parents’ place, and we’ll be back soon, alright?” Cedric said.

 

Harry didn’t know what was going on, he didn’t know if any of this was real. Not knowing what to say, he nodded. Cedric leaned in a gave him a short kiss before leaving.

 

“Joseph…that was Cedric” Harry said.

 

“Yes it was.” Joseph said, still going through Harry’s charts.

 

“Why was he here?” Harry asked. “And who’s James, and why did Cedric go pick him up from his parents’ place?”

 

“To check on you, of course.” Joseph returned. “I think that’s the natural reaction when your husband is hospitalised.”

 

“What? Husband?” Harry asked.

 

“And James is your son.” Joseph continued, and Harry’s jaw dropped.

 

“Cedric and I are married? And we have a son?” Harry said in disbelief.

 

“You really don’t remember anything?” Joseph asked.

 

“No.” Harry said as he shook his head. “My head hurts really bad, and I can remember things from like, months ago, but nothing from the past week.”

 

“Yes, I had a headache too when I woke up.” Joseph said as he tapped Harry’s chart. “But it faded after a few minutes, and I didn’t lose any memory of what happened recently. Perhaps this is happening because there are more new memories for your brain to process than mine.”

 

“What? New memories?” Harry asked as Joseph sat next to him.

 

“Maybe this will jog your memory.” Joseph said. “Congratulations, you’ve successfully changed the past.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you haven't guessed, I'm writing a sequel to this story. Yes, Cedric lives. How? I'll explain in the sequel. First, I'd like to thank all of you who stuck with the story and patiently waited for the updates, especially when it seemed like I had bailed. Thank you to everyone who gave kudos and comments. Those always boosted my motivation to finish the story.
> 
> As for the sequel, I won't be writing it yet. I'm going to focus on my other on-going stories before starting new ones. But I promise to start writing it by the end of the month. I won't guarantee any publish date, because I will most likely miss it. What I will say is that the sequel will mostly focus on Harry's life after the Triwizard Tournament with Cedric. Joseph and Draco will also be featured, since a lot of people seem to like them. (Which I'm extremely happy about). I might throw in some other couples, and some post-war Harric.
> 
> Once again, thank you all for your patience and support. I wouldn't have been able to finish this story, which has 113,374 words and took up 335 pages. Thank you again, and I hope you will read the sequel


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